In Memory of Sirius Black II: The Seventh Year
by Sweet 16 Movie Buff
Summary: -COMPLETE- Jillian and Sirius have broken up. They're still friends, or at least intend to be. But what will recent events that turn their world upside down, do to their friendship? I'll review your fic, if you will review mine. Thanx!
1. Rough Night

CHAPTER 1 – Rough Night 

By: Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

Disclaimer: I own none of Sirius, James, Remus, or Hogwarts though it would be exceedingly cool to own an enchanted castle with moving stairs and talking pictures. :) Anyway, that all belongs to J.K Rowling, who seriously needs to bring Sirius back in the 6th book.

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"Now remember," Mrs. McKee pecked Jillian quickly on the cheek, but when Jillian attempted to withdraw she cupped her face firm in her hands, gazing earnestly into her daughter's eyes. "No drugs. No booze. Home by one. Do you understand?"

Jillian rolled her eyes at criteria she'd heard a dozen times before. "Yes, Mum."

"Now repeat it back."

Heaving a large sigh, Jillian droned, "No drugs, no . . ."

"Booze. Home by one," Mrs. McKee chorused with her. She smiled at her daughter, a warm smile that Jillian swore only her mother could perfect.

Jillian loved her mother dearly, but, like most seventeen-year-old girls, felt that her coddling and worrying was needless. She'd been to Connections so many times that she knew exactly who to avoid and what not to do.

Even though Toby Williams, one of her closest friends, had insisted on heavy eyeliner and a lip-gloss, Jillian McKee was nothing spectacular. She was a rather plain girl with only notable cheekbones to add to her countenance. Her golden chestnut hair she wore short and cropped to her jaw in choppy strands. A mauve chemise and slimming black pants hugged her frame for the night and a pair of paint-splattered platforms adorned her feet.

"We should get going if we want to make it back by one," said a pale girl from the couch. Carly Spocker, another one of Jillian's best friends, too, was dressed for a night of dancing. Her flaxen curls were thrown up in a helter-skelter bun, a single stray ringlet tucked behind her ear.

"Toby!" Jillian shouted in the direction of the bathroom door.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" The dark-skinned, russet-red haired girl emerged from the bathroom, fixing a gold hoop to her ear.

She snatched up her purse from the sofa beside Carly and hugged Mrs. McKee lopsidedly. "See ya later, Mrs. McKee."

"Night, Toby," the older woman hugged her in return and embraced Carly too, before shooing the two out into the corridor of the tenement.

Jillian kissed her mother's cheek; "We'll be back by one, Mum. Promise."

"Isn't Sirius going with you?" Mrs. McKee asked with a frown of concern.

Jillian hesitated, then shook her head, "Nah, Mum. He had a date tonight."

"Oh," she patted Jillian's cheek affectionately, eyes brimming with understanding, "Then we'll just have to get the whole story later over a cup of tea."

"Okay," Jillian smiled. Leave it to her mother to solve everything over a cup of tea.

"Jilly! Come on all ready!"

With another quick peck on the cheek, she bounded out the door. "Bye, Mum!"

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"I can't believe it! THE Ted Tonks, Lord of the Night, is gonna get hitched!" Toby laughed as the three ascended the stairs of the tenement building.

"Toby keep it down!" Carly hushed.

All was quiet in the building, all were fast asleep; when she had been young and had woken from a terrible nightmare, Jillian had thought of the silence as the eerie witching hour. Now, years older and wiser, the silence and stillness hardly scared her anymore.

"I still can't believe he's engaged . . ." Toby rambled, skipping to door number forty-three and landing with a little flourish before it.

"You had too much butterbeer tonight, Toby." Jillian told her with a smile, her paint-splattered platforms in hand. Andromeda Black, soon to be Mrs. Andromeda Tonks, had brought some of the butterbeer along to celebrate the engagement. Whitney, her short hair now a blazing scarlet red, had taken to the drink almost as much as Toby had after her first taste.

Quietly Jillian knocked on the door to the flat, expecting at any moment that the door would fling open and Mrs. McKee would appear in her nightgown and bathrobe, smiling and eager to hear all about there night despite her distaste for the night club.

She rapped again when the door didn't open. "Mum?"

No reply.

Frowning, Jillian fumbled in her clutch for the key. Something was wrong. Her mother almost always opened the door to welcome Jillian in. She was a light sleeper; she always heard the door. Something must have happened; maybe she had a heart attack –

_No_, the logical part of Jillian's mind reprimanded, _Everything's fine. She's probably asleep. She was awfully tired after work today._

_Oh really?_ drawled a small voice, _When as that ever stopped her?_

Jillian shook her head sharply, jostling the voices into silence. The little knot of dread in her throat, however, was not so easily dislodged and held. Swiftly she unlocked the door and flung the door open.

She stopped dead on the threshold.

The flat was in ruins. Pillows and picture frames were in disarray; some pictures were scattered on the floor. The balcony doors were open, the glass broken; the terrace plants were toppled. Glass glittered in the moonlight in a thin trail to a still corpse splayed awkwardly, lying in the middle of the floor.

"Merlin's beard," Carly gasped as she flipped on the lights. Her hands went to her mouth, utter shock etched on her features. Toby was caught mid-saunter when she saw the mess of the apartment.

There was blood everywhere. Black shadows were littered among the glass. There was blood on the countertops, trailing down the cabinets in dirty russet drops. There was blood on the walls.

Jillian was not looking at the flat; she was looking at the person at her feet. It wasn't her mother. That . . . that _thing_, wasn't her mother.

She stared down at the body of the woman before her. The silken primrose nightclothes were tousled and rumpled. Golden hair fell in matted clumps to her shoulders. Features that were so similar to Jillian's, yet more comely, were frozen in a terrified mask. Hazel eyes gaped unseeingly to the right, her neck twisted at an odd angle. Her whole posture was odd, broken in more places than one could count.

Toby skimmed the flat desperately, brokenly, at a loss of what to think. What to say. She took in every misplaced photograph, every shade-less lamp, every filthy bloodstain on the walls, until her gaze fixated on the far wall.

"Jilly," Toby's voice shook. "Carly . . ."

They looked up from Mrs. McKee's broken person and followed Toby's unwavering eyes. A large brown skull spanned the wall, a snake twining about it. Carly let out a stifled scream as she recognized the Dark Mark drawn in blood.

Wands came out in an instant, eyes alert and searching. Jillian fell back towards the door and the three formed a tight circle. Nothing. There was no one.

"They might have left," Carly quavered softly.

Jillian's eyes darted about the flat. That shadow in the corner . . . did it move? Did her bedroom door just open a fraction?

_Death Eaters_. The word echoed over and over in her head, rattling about like it was an empty drum, each time causing her lungs to constrict with fear.

_Death Eaters, Death Eaters, Death Eaters, Death Eaters . . ._

A clang of metal outside screeched through the silence followed by an audible crash. Three heads snapped in unison to the balcony.

"They're climbing up the fire escape," Jillian breathed.

"Run." Toby grabbed Carly's arm and pushed Jillian out the door.

They ran down the hall and slammed through the stairwell entrance, not breaking pace as they scrambled down the stairs.

A sudden idea came to Jillian. "Wait!"

She slipped out of Toby's hold and raced back up the flight of stairs to hastily trace the door with her wand, muttering an incantation under her breath. Sloppily done, but with no more time to work it properly, Jillian swung herself over the rail and stumbled after Toby and Carly, waving them on. "That will hold them for a little while. Go!"

Their feet pounded on the cold cement, numbing the balls of Jillian's aching feet. They crashed into the lobby, skidding on the tile floor, before shoving the door shut with a bang. They leaned against the door, gasping, hoping for a moment to catch their breath.

Jillian looked over at the desk, hoping beyond all hope that the security guard had heard them, but no. He lay fast asleep at the lobby desk, the security monitor buzzing blue over his sleeping face. High above there was a crash as the third floor door blew off its hinges.

"They went down this way!"

Toby, Carly and Jillian shared a terrified glance. No more need for being discreet.

"RUN!" Toby screamed.

The three girls tore out into the street, heels clicking on the pavement as they dashed quickly into the dark gap between the tenement building and its neighbor. Jillian watched her feet as they fell back further off from the street, careful to avoid bits of smashed bottles. Once Carly was satisfied they wouldn't be seen, Jillian collapsed back against the brick, her heart pounded against her ribs.

It was so _loud_. Who knew that one's heart could make so much noise at the most unwanted times? The beat was irregular and fast, ebbing and nearing . . . Merlin's beard couldn't it just shut up for a moment?

"Jilly!" Carly hissed as she grabbed her friend's arm and jerked her with a sharp gasp back to the present. It wasn't Jillian's heart that was pounding mutely; it was the footfalls of Death Eaters.

Jillian looked up at Carly and Toby. They were scared, two pairs of wide eyes asked silently, _What do we do?_

She had no idea.

_Think_, she ordered herself. _Think!_

"We have to split up," she said at last, voicing what they all did not want to do, "We have to scatter."

She glanced out onto the street, seeing slim shadows moving in the lamplight.

"Stay out of the side streets," Jillian continued quickly, more certain of her course of action. "You don't want to be caught at the end of a dead end."

"Where do we meet up?" Toby asked quietly, craning her neck to make certain the Death Eaters were still in the street.

Jillian racked her brain. "Connections. We can lose them in the crowds if needs be."

"I can Apparate," Carly whispered suddenly. "I'll go to the Ministry, see if they can send some Aurors."

"I bloody hell hope so. It's their bloody job isn't it?" Toby grumbled, eliciting smiles from Carly and Jillian.

Jillian nodded her agreement and with a muted pop, Carly disapparated, leaving them alone in the dark.

Jillian peered out into the street to see a Death Eater pacing the sidewalk on either side of the road. She motioned Toby further back into the shadows. "Keep straight down this way and you'll meet another street. Go."

Toby hesitated, "What about you?"

Jillian shook her head; "I'll be fine. Just go!"

Without further uncertainty Toby silently slinked into the darkness. Jillian watched her disappear before slipping deeper into the shadows, coming to the corner of her tenement building. Once she was certain there were no Death Eaters lurking near, she traced back along the tenement and around the corner, returning once more to the street. The sentry had moved on down the walk, ducking into alleyways from time to time.

Jillian watched carefully as the Death Eater ducked into a gap several buildings away. Now was her chance, she had to run for it.

She pitched to her feet, taking off down the sidewalk at a dead sprint opposite the Death Eater.

"OVER HERE!" a voice screeched; it was the sentry on the opposite sidewalk. "WE HAVE ONE! _STUPEFY!_"

A jet of red light beamed across the road. She fell to the ground, the Stunner flying harmlessly over her head. Feet were pounding in all directions, all drawing nearer. Excitement was pressing in around Jillian. They could smell their prize. This is what they had been waiting for, another Mudblood to torment . . .

With a choked sob of fear, Jillian lurched to her feet and ran. Her legs fell into the rhythm, her bare feet pounded numb and cold on the cement. Her arms pumped steadily as she clutched the platforms in one hand.

Spells and shouts followed her, jets of light whizzed past and over her shoulder. She took deep breaths, trying to push away the sharp pain of a cramp burying into her flesh. She did not need it right now.

Steely eyes glinted in the street lamps. From the shadows a Death Eater stepped in Jillian's path, wand raised. "_Imper - _"

There was no time to think. Jillian swung the heavy platforms up, the thick soles connecting with the Death Eater's mask. Bone crunched and he doubled forward, clutching his face as blood seeped through the silted nostrils of the mask.

Jillian flew down the street, hardly hindered by the force of her own blow. She seemed to run forever, the Death Eater's cries going in and out with her breathing. She didn't know how far back they were. She couldn't risk it.

There was a buzzing in her ears, like the thrum of an engine. Was there someone behind her? No, one glance could cost her everything, hadn't football taught her that?

"Jillian!"

She couldn't look back.

"Jillian!"

The roar of an engine was right beside her. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a motorcycle overtaking her, cutting off her escape. The bike and its rider slid to a halt, front tire on the sidewalk, blocking her escape.

The rider flipped up the helmet visor. It was Sirius. "Jillian! Get on the bike!"

She could have wept with relief. Swiftly she straddled the bike. She wrapped her arms tight around his waist and leaned on his warm back, breathing in the heavy scent of tanned leather from his jacket.

Sirius snapped the visor down and pulled hard on the clutch. The engine thundered back into action and they were off, zooming down the street at a blurring pace. Jillian clung to him like a scared child. He could feel her trembling, though if out of fear or exhaustion he didn't know.

"Where to?!" he shouted over the wind.

It took her a moment to snap from her dazed state, then another to understand what he was asking her. "Connections!"

Sirius returned his attention to the road. A quick glance to the left of the right made certain no one was watching. He lifted the handlebars off the ground, like one would do in preparation for a wheelie, but instead the motorcycle lifted off the ground, now flying through the streets of London, then flying over them.

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With a jolt the bike landed on the tarred pavement of a dingy street. Blinking neon signs lined the street, their lights illuminating vile graffiti sprayed on the walls in large grand designs. Above a poster-strewn building, once a warehouse, a neon sign in pink and blue read Connections.

Two shadowy figures waited outside the entrance stairs, one sitting on the curb over a grate, the other in a glittering blue dress that sparkled in the lights, was darting anxious looks up and down the street.

Sirius pulled in alongside the curb and Jillian immediately stumbled off the bike towards a cluster of trashcans. She braced herself over one and hacked mightily, spitting up blood and saliva in thin strands dangling from her lower lip. Her whole body shook. Her legs were like jelly, wobbly and twitching as muscles contracted and shuddered.

Sirius glanced over at Carly and Toby. Neither looked any better than their friend did. Toby's feet gleamed with blisters that had broken open. Carly's hair was falling out of its bun to her shoulders, bobby pins coming loose from their places.

There was a crash as Jillian collapsed onto the sidewalk amongst the bins. She curled into a small ball, resting her folded arms around her shins and then resting her head on her knees. She quivered with a single muffled sob that dissolved into more.

He watched helplessly as she wept. He didn't know what to do. He'd never been any good at comforting others. He glanced desperately at Carly and Toby, but when he saw the tears glittering on Carly's cheeks and Toby's broken expression, he knew that they too suffered silently.

Hesitating, he swung his leg over the bike and tore his helmet off. Slowly he approached Jillian, every step making his dread grow; after a moment's hesitation, a moment to gather his courage, he crouched before her.

"Jillian?" he breathed quietly.

When she seemed not to hear, he slid his hand under her chin, gently but firmly lifting her face. Her cheek was wet with tears and her eyes were blotchy and red with crying. Eyeliner trailing in thin streams down her face. He was sure that she could hear his heart crumbling, or at least see it in his eyes

"What happened?" he asked softly, combing his fingers partway though her hair, his hand cradling her cheek.

His voice brought her back for a moment, reminding her why she was alive. With his thumb he brushed away a tear from her eye. He gazed concernedly at her; his eyes never swayed from her own hollow ones. His hand felt good against her cheek, his fingers were soothing as they ran along her scalp.

"They killed my mother," she choked as another knot of tears climbed up from the back of her throat. She shook again and the tears came once more.

Sirius gathered her against him, letting her cry into the cradle of his neck and cling to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, twining her fingers in his mane of black hair, and sobbed brokenly.

"Make her come back. Please . . . just make her come back . . ."

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**BEFORE I FORGET . . .**

I'll review your fic, if you'll review mine. Thanx a bunch and enjoy!


	2. Toby's House

CHAPTER 2 – Toby's House 

By: Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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Jillian lay in bed, staring at the window, watching the gray sunlight outside sparkle through a hand-painted suncatcher of a football. Rays of blue, yellow, green, and red light played on her pillow in octagonal shapes. A beam of green fell across her open palm.

She was a little girl again, holding up a finger-painting to her mother. It was her first complete painting from kinder school and she was so proud to show it to her mother.

"That's you, Mummy," she pointed to the taller stick person with a bounty of yellow hair. Then she pointed to the smaller figure with large glasses and blue hair, "And that's me and that's our house."

"Oh, it's lovely, Jillybean! So much color, I love it," Mrs. McKee brought the small child onto her hip and smiled at the painting, admiring the talent. "Let's go hang it on the fridge."

"Can we put it in my room?" little Jillian asked shyly.

Mrs. McKee pecked her daughter wetly on the cheek, arousing a giggle from her, "Of course, Jillybean. Then I can admire it when I come for tea, right?"

They had tacked it up in her room, beside the picture of Jillian and her father. It had hung in her room for the longest time, a bright, loving picture of the two, warm against the lilac walls.

But this wasn't her room, and the walls weren't lilac, but grass green. This room was Toby's, and this was Toby's house. Jillian and Carly had moved their things in only four days ago to spend the remaining three weeks of the holiday with the Williams.

The Williams homestead was a small suburban town home, one of the many outskirting London, with a rather homey and worn interior. Unlike Jillian's own iron-wrought bed and delicate furnishings, Toby's room was another world with practical vinyl furniture to withstand the constant wear and tear of her three football-kicking brothers.

Jillian had always loved Toby's family and their wild energy, but this visit felt different. She felt disconnected from the rest of them, out of place. It felt as if she were moving through the house in her own private cloud, unable to touch down on solid ground again.

Perhaps she just missed her mother.

"Bloody hell, she's _still_ asleep?" Toby whispered, her voice muffled by the closed bedroom door.

"She didn't sleep well again last night," Carly commented softly.

"It's almost noon!"

"Toby . . ." Carly growled warningly. Of the two, Carly was by far the most patient and understanding; if it wasn't a general consensus of the population and the influence of recent events, she would say that Death Eaters might actually have some good qualities to speak of.

"Well she needs to get her butt up. Sleeping the day away is not going to help her any. Besides, I need Miss Perfect back on my team if we're going to beat Tom and Mat in doubles." the door opened a crack, light from the hall spilling out onto the Berber carpet.

"Be nice, Toby!" Carly hissed.

"I will! I will!" she assured, batting away her worries.

She stepped into the room, opening the door wide, allowing light to pour into the dark room. Jillian let out a groan and brought the blankets over her face. Toby avoided boards that squeaked and snuck over to the bed where Jillian lay motionless. With a sigh, Toby crawled underneath the blankets with her.

"Jilly?" she inquired softly. She held the blankets over their heads, creating a private makeshift tent. There was a rustle of cotton as Carly, too, crawled under the sheets.

Jillian did not open her eyes.

"Faker," Toby accused. A ghost of a smile crawled onto Jillian's face.

Carly pushed a strand of hair away from her face; "You miss her don't you?"

Mutely, Jillian gave the slightest of nods.

Carly sighed and resettled her head on the pillow, "You know she would have wanted you to move on. She wouldn't want you sleeping the rest of your days away."

"She also would have wanted you to brush your God damn teeth, because your breath stinks," Toby told her curtly

"TOBY!" Carly gasped appalled, "For once in your life could you be serious?"

"Well someone needs to take up the role of comedic relief," she snapped back.

Jillian smiled the first real smile she had had in a long time. That was Toby Williams for you.

Toby motioned to Jillian, "See?"

Carly grumbled inaudibly, something about a smart aleck, and then sighed, "Come downstairs, Jilly. Mrs. Williams has sandwiches downstairs for lunch. You don't even have to get out of your pajamas."

Jillian's lips twitched in a weak smile; "I miss her so much."

"I know you do," Carly agreed earnestly. She heaved a sigh and then began softly, "When I was eight, Mum had her fourth baby. I was so excited, I finally had a baby sister. Mum and Dad had a name all picked out and signed on the birth certificate, Helena Spocker. Then when she died in St. Mungo's from complications I was absolutely crushed. I didn't speak to anyone; I threw my toys. I had to be forced to eat. Then my dad sat me down and told me something he had once read: 'For certain is death for the born and certain is birth for the dead. Therefore over the inevitable thou shouldst not grieve.'"

"When my granddad died, my Uncle Sam told me the same thing, except it sounded more like: 'you knew this was gonna happen sooner or later, so why cry about it?' Of course, he hadn't really liked granddad since that fishing accident . . ."

Jillian laughed despite herself, remembering the story rather well and the puncture marks Uncle Sam had showed her where the two-inch hooks had gone through his foot. Carly was hardly amused. "For the love of Merlin, Toby! Can't you just take one, just one thing serious for once in your life - "

"Aw, come off it Carly!" Jillian said lightly, placing a hand on her chest as she gasped for air. "She's not harming anything by it."

Carly smiled, glad that at last Jillian had shown signs of her usual self. "Okay."

"All right, there's my Jilly!" With a sudden burst of energy, Toby flung the sheets away and leapt to her feet. ""Come on, Miss Perfect! Get up, it'll do you some good!"

"Toby!" Jillian cried as her legs got a full blast of the cold. She snatched vainly at the sheets while not bother to sit up, and when she couldn't reach them she moaned, "Fine! Keep the blankets!"

Carly rolled out of bed and smiled down at her friend. Jillian stretched her arms above her head and her toes as far down to the foot of the bed as she could. She shook her head at the two; "I'm NOT getting out of bed."

Toby and Carly shared a significant glance. Open sympathy had woken her up, lighthearted humor had revived her to a living state, but food hadn't coaxed her out of bed. Time for plan two: chocolate.

With a dramatic sigh, Toby plucked at a stray fiber on the bed. "Then I guess she doesn't want any of that chocolate icing we saved from Mat's birthday cake."

Jillian shot them a wary glance, "Icing?"

"Yeah," Carly agreed dolefully, slowly turning towards the door, "Or the M&Ms and Twix your mum bought at the market yesterday."

"Guess that means more for us!" Toby said so quickly her words ran over one another and they bolted out the bedroom door.

"We're running down the stairs!" Carly called in a singsong voice.

"All right! All right! I'm getting up!"

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"Jillian! Post's here!"

Jillian paid little attention to Carly, her brows knit in a pondering frown as she studied her hand of cards. She had several packs of M&Ms and two of her favorite Chocolate Frog cards at stake, and if Toby had something better than a pair of Jacks and a pair of twos they would be lost.

It was the week of September the first, the week the three would return to Hogwarts for their seventh and final year. At the moment, however, Tobyand Jillian were finding solstice in Toby's bedroom on one of her twin beds, deeply interested in a game of poker.

"Jilly, you got something in the mail!"

"Give us a second!" Toby called out the bedroom door and swiveled back on the bed. She grinned slyly at Jillian, "So, McKee? You gonna fold or what?"

She pursed her lips, then with a flourish revealed her cards, "There! Read 'em and weep!"

Toby lifted a delicate brow at the two pairs, "Very nice, McKee, but," she shook her head sadly, and laid out her cards, "I hate to say it, a royal flush beats out two pair any day of the week."

Jillian's jaw dropped as she saw the four Aces laid out neatly before Toby. She guffawed and tossed her cards at her laughing friend. "I'm never playing poker with you again."

Carly's head appeared at the side of the bed, her chin resting compliantly on folded arms. In her hand was clutched a letter. "Are you done yet?"

"Yes," Jillian said bitterly, though there was a lopsided grin on her lips. Then she saw the letter clutched in Carly's hand. "Is that for me?"

Carly handed her the envelope; "It's from your building."

Jillian tore open the envelope and unfolded the crisp piece of paper. Quickly she scanned the letter, then read it a second time, making quite sure she hadn't imagined the words printed in clear-cut black and white.

It was an eviction notice, saying that having failed to pay the second half of the month's rent, that they regretted to inform her that she would no longer have residence, etceteras, etceteras.

Carly watched Jillian's face carefully, noticing the little flicker of disbelief in her dark eyes. "What is it?"

"An eviction notice," Jillian handed her the letter, trying very hard to sort out how she felt about the treacherous piece of paper. She'd lived in Kensington since she was a little girl; there were so many memories attached to that flat and the street she'd come to know even blindfolded. It wasn't that she couldn't afford to pay the rent, her mother's last will and testament had seen to that, but it was the other, more recent, more horrifying and painful memories that had driven Jillian to the other side of the city that haunted her decision.

Carly frowned as she scanned it. "Don't you get a thirty day pay period?"

Jillian shrugged, "I suppose not."

"They're supposed to give you thirty days to pay the rent," Carly said darkly, crumpling the letter and tossing it away with disgust. "Filthy, slimy cockers."

Toby blinked, "Carly! Did you just _curse_?"

"Yes, because even wizarding families know that the eviction notice is not the final notice. These . . . _people_ wanted an excuse to put an available flat on the market and make a little bit of extra cash. What are you gonna do?"

Startled by the sudden question, Jillian echoed, "What am I gonna do?"

"Are you gonna pay the rent or what?" Carly asked impatiently.

Jillian thought for a moment, then shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't see why I should. I'll be gone most of the year and it would be pointless to continue paying for a space I'm not using."

"But it's your home, Jilly!"

"No, it's a crime scene now. That's all it is," she snapped back, losing her temper. Toby and Carly looked at her taken aback. With a shaky sigh, she slipped off the loft bed; "I'm sorry . . . I, I didn't me to snap, it's just . . . I'll go see if Mrs. Williams needs some help in the kitchen."

And she quickly retreated from the bedroom.

Toby heartily slapped Carly on the shoulder, nodding solemnly, "Well done. Well done."

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**AN EXTRA DISCLAIMER . . .**

Okay, before I forget, I have an extra disclaimer to add here. When Toby says, "She also would have wanted you to brush your God damn teeth, because your breath stinks . . ." that comes from Practical Magic and belongs to the production company and writers of that film.

I just really love that line.


	3. The Eviction Party

CHAPTER 3 – The Eviction Party

By Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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September the first came sooner than the girls had expected and before they could even blink they were wheeling their trolleys, packed with books and clothes, through the barrier between Platforms nine and ten.

Jillian blinked rapidly against the bright sunlight, her eyes adjusting to the engine smoke and the blinding beams of sunlight. Witches, wizards and Muggles alike were packed on Platform nine and three-quarters, saying hasty good-byes to their children before they boarded the Hogwarts Express. Jillian ignored them.

A heavy burden lifted from her chest as she took in the length of the bright red train and it's long team of boxcars. She had a whole year to wait and find another flat. Suddenly the prospect of leaving London for a year was far more appealing and seemed much less of a grievance.

"Let me take your trunks and I'll go find us a seat!" Toby shouted over the din.

"Thanks," Jillian said. "Are you sure you don't want help, though?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I had needed help Miss Perfect," Toby rapped her knuckles on Jillian's head with a wild grin. "Come on, start using those wonderful brains of yours!"

"Okay, okay," Jillian rubbed the crown of her head, "Bugger, that hurt!"

Toby shot Carly a questioning glance that Carly answered with a shake of her head.

"Whatever, floats your boat," Toby turned and trotted away with the two trolleys.

Jillian eyed Carly oddly, "What was that about?"

"Oh, nothing," she replied offhandedly, scanning the platform for a familiar face. "Hey isn't that Sirius over there? Yeah . . . HEY SIRIUS!"

The boy in context looked up suddenly at the mention of his name. He broke away from a group of girls and strode over to them, "Hello, Carly."

"Aren't you gonna say hello to me?" Jillian asked with a playful frown that made Sirius laugh.

"Oh, hello, Jillian," he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. It was Jillian's turn to laugh, one that also awarded Sirius a smack on the shoulder. Carly, quite content with her methods of diversion, slowly pushed her trolley towards the train.

"Thanks for coming to the funeral," Jillian mumbled so softly Sirius could have sworn she hadn't said anything, "It meant a lot to me."

"It was nothing," Sirius raked his fingers through his hair, suddenly running out of things to say.

"Did you have a good holiday?" Jillian asked after a beat of awkward silence.

He shrugged, determinedly studying his feet, "Fair enough of one."

"Sirius," she sighed, "You don't have to be weird about it. I'm okay, I'm not gonna get weepy on you at a second's notice. We're still friends, aren't we?"

"Bloody hell yes!" he snapped, sounding shocked at the mention of the question. Then he blinked once, and his cool, mischievous demeanor returned, "Who else would help me pass Arithmancy this year?"

"Oh, is that all I'm good for?" she asked wryly.

He nodded curtly in agreement, "That's all you're good for."

"Lovely," she drawled.

"Sirius! There you are," purred a silky voice from behind them.

Sirius turned about startled, revealing a fifth-year girl standing behind them. She was a tall girl, close to Sirius's own height, and quite leggy and slender. She had a pretty face, framed by strong brows, with a bone structure that strongly reminded Jillian of an ancient Greek vase. The girl's skin was a coppery almond, a rich color, accented by ebony curls that she had pulled back in a ponytail.

Sirius smiled at her as the girl came over and curled her arms around his neck. She met him in a light playful kiss that he eagerly returned. "No, it's okay, Mitra. This is Jillian, the friend I was telling you about. Jillian, this is Mitra Sudha."

"His girlfriend," Mitra added, smiling at Jillian, but not releasing her hold on Sirius.

Jillian felt her balance slip a little at the word 'girlfriend', but, ever swayed by good manners, she smiled back, "Nice to meet you."

Mitra studied Jillian for a moment, then a thought dawn on her. "Oh, yes! Jillian McKee, I remember now. You're the girl that Sirius rushed off to save a few weeks ago, right?"

"Yeah," she eyed Sirius out of the corner of her eye. "How many people did you tell, Black? You're getting to be almost as bad as a girl."

"I was over at his flat that night," Mitra explained. "I told him he was daft to go joyriding out in the middle of the night, but you know how he is, I'm sure."

"Oh," Well, that explained why he had smelled of flowery perfume that night. "Aren't you a little young to be, well . . .sleeping over?"

She shrugged, apparently unscathed by the comment; "Nothing happened."

Sirius turned a laugh into a fit of coughing when Jillian shot him a reproving glance.

"Sirius, I don't suppose I could borrow Jillian for a moment?" Mitra asked suddenly, already dragging Jillian away towards the red engine.

"I need her back before the train leaves!" he called after them.

Mitra laughed and waved good-bye to her boyfriend. "He's such a sweetie. Don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess," Jillian agreed half-heartedly as they climbed into one of the boxcars.

Mitra looped her arm through Jillian's and led her down the aisle, "So didn't you two date last year?"

"Yeah. Just for five months."

"I remember. You two were quite the pair there for some time. Why'd you break up?"

"Well," Her cheeks reddened a little at the memory. "He made me an offer that I simply had to refuse."

"Oh," Mitra nodded wisely.

"Well, it wasn't just that," she was really blushing now, "I sort of felt strangled, like there were certain things I couldn't do anymore. Sirius had different reasons and we mutually decided to see other people."

"Do you have a boyfriend now, though?" Mitra asked, then hastily added, "I mean, I know it's none of my business or anything, but do you . . . need some one to hook you up? My friend's real good at playing matchmaker. She got one of my other friends, Rebecca – have you heard of her? No, I suppose not, she's a Gryffindor third-year – well, she got Rebecca and this other boy together and they've been together ever since."

Jillian laughed uneasily, and slipped out of Mitra's grasp, "Nah, no I'm fine. I'm enjoying being single at the moment."

She shrugged, a hand on a compartment door, "I guess. I never really liked being single, it was so dull."

"Yeah, erm, sure," she mumbled, her face flaming with embarrassment. Had she just talked about snogging with someone she hardly knew? She flashed Mitra a smile. "Look, it was nice talking to you, but I've got to go find Toby and Carly. Thanks again."

"No problem. See ya around." And with a nod of her head, Mitra disappeared into the compartment.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jillian went in search of Toby and Carly, ducking into compartments from time to time, apologizing, and then moving on. After the sixth compartment, Jillian was beginning to get frustrated.

"Sorry," she apologized to the occupants. "I was just looking for someone."

She backed out of the compartment, straight into a warm presence at her back. Abruptly she spun about, an apology on her lips, "Oh, I'm sorry . . ."

Sirius grinned down at her gaping mouth and tapped her chin up, causing her teeth to clack together painfully. "Stop gawping, McKee, it's rude."

She glowered up at him, albeit playfully, "You could have warned me you were standing right there."

"You looking for Toby and Carly?" he asked.

"Of course," she rolled her eyes and Sirius grinned.

He jerked his head towards the back of the train, "Come on, I think I saw them down this way."

He led her down the aisle at a trot, then down to the end of the second boxcar. He stopped before the compartment on the right, which was amazingly quiet. Jillian frowned, "Sirius, are you sure this is where . . ."

Abruptly the door slid open and there was a whiz of party horns being blown and a chorus of, "SURPRISE!"

Jillian's mouth dropped open. Crammed into the compartment sat Toby and Carly along with Sirius's three other friends, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. The space was decorated with blinking magical signs reading 'congratulations' or 'best wishes' and balloons. All those inside were wearing party hats of different assortments.

She looked at them all, not quite understanding what was going on, "What's all this for?"

Toby stumbled out from the compartment and plopped a brightly striped top hat onto Jillian's head, "For your Independence Day celebration of course."

"Independence Day celebration?" she echoed.

It was James that answered (he had become more welcoming towards her after she and Sirius had broken up. Apparently the incident in the dungeons was all ready forgotten and forgiven), "Yeah, Spocker and Williams thought to celebrate your eviction with a little party."

Carly draped an arm around Jillian's shoulders, "You know, as a sort of 'who needs them' momento."

At this Jillian laughed and settled for shaking her head as she was at a loss for words. Sirius leaned close to her ear, "You didn't honestly think we were going to let you handle it all on your own, did you?"

She looked up at him to see warmth reflecting in his eyes; laughter and amusement mixed in their misty depths at her surprise. She glanced at them all again, touched deeply by their act of kindness.

Peter held out a bottle of a fizzing yellow brew, "We have butterbeer."

Jillian smiled at him and excepted the drink, signaling the beginning of the party. There was a great deal of food; all of which Sirius and James had nicked before the train had left the station. Chocoballs (Jillian's particular favorite), Pumpkin Patsies, Licorice Wands, and Cauldron Cakes . . . the selection was endless. After one too many butterbeers, James had dared Toby to eat an entire pack of Fizzing Whizbees in one mouthful, a dare that had resulted in Toby rolling in hysterics on the ceiling.

Once the gifts, many of them gags and none to be taken seriously, had been opened, the compartment had settled down for a game of spin the bottle. The most memorable kiss for Jillian had had to be James and Sirius's own (she and Toby both declared that there had been a definite use of tongue). The trip to Hogwarts was thoroughly enjoyable.

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WELCOME BACK, REVIEWERS! HERE ARE YOUR THANK YOUS . . .

blagh – Yay! First reviewer, yay! Thanks for telling me that your sequel was up, by the way.

Moon Burst – Glad you've liked it so far! I had to have that bit of action there in the beginning to hook you guys in, because, I hate to say it, it will be the last bit of dramatic action until the end. These next couple of chapters are for building up a minor teenage-high-school-plot and relationships between characters. And you'll just have to read to see if there's any more romance between Jillian and Sirius :P

Practical Magic is a good movie isn't it? There'll be a couple more references to other movies in here, I think. Yeah, there's a room in the fun house from The Haunting with Liam Neeson and Katherine Zeta Jones (that movie was terrible in my opinion). Then in Chapter 12 there might possibly be a reference to Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves but I'll have to edit it in. You see, this is why my pen name is Sweet 16 Movie Buff, I have no bloody life!

Whimsical Firefly – Yeah, I probably meant the other form of 'boos' (booze), I'm so sorry. I read it over a million times and I still make mistakes, oh well. Thank you, though for pointing that out.

When I first wrote the characterization for Toby, I hadn't really based her on anyone I knew, but now that I look back over her character she is sort of loosely based on a friend of mine. Both Toby and my friend are people that like to have a good laugh and both are real tough and don't get wishy-washy real fast. So I guess subconsciously I write characters based on people I know, or more so, I pick and choose from people I know and use characteristics that I think make a character appealing.

Hey, not to push you, but will you PLEASE update your Sirius's Choice fic, I'm having withdrawals ::Eye twitches::

Wheres-the-rum-gone?-2004 – Super Sirius to the rescue! I love it! I always wanted to write a piece with him on that flying motorcycle, so I thought it would be a good way to save Jillian's tush. Thanks for reading. 


	4. Rumors

CHAPTER 4 – Rumors

By: Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had not changed. It was still the towering castle the students had always known it as. The stairs still changed their minds and positions. The portraits still chatted with one another. The Sorting Hat sorted, the Great Hall served three square meals a day, and classes were held five days a week for at least an hour apiece.

There was a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; Professor Subramani had strangely disappeared during his trip into what was known as 'vampire country' and a new teacher had taken his place. Professor Derbyshire was almost incomprehensible. He was a brisk man who spoke quickly, but his heavy baroque made hardly a word cipherable.

After two months of desperate translation, resulting in only being able to make out words such as 'the' versus 'there', Jillian was relying wholly on Sirius for help with the new jinxes and spells they were being taught. As they had done before, they would meet in the library so that Jillian might help Sirius with his Arithmancy and History of Magic (a class that had remained as dull as ever), before wandering into a vacant classroom to practice dueling.

It was a cold November evening, a Thursday, when Jillian huffed up the stairs to the third floor with her books slung over her shoulder. She was bundled up in a scarf with her navy wool hoodie thrown over her school uniform, the one that was her savior in the colder months. She was in a foul mood, and stewing, as she climbed.

The entire Potions class Jillian had spent exchanging insults with Severus Snape as she failed three times to brew a proper Truth Serum. The class had ended in detention the following Saturday and a deduction of five points from Ravenclaw. Still angry when she had gone to History of Magic, she had dazed and missed half of the discussion on dragon scares during the medieval ages. It had been a bad day, a horrible, horrible day, and all Jillian wanted to do was see Sirius so that he could make her smile and forget it all.

She stomped into the library, unwinding the scarf from around her neck, and threw her pack onto the table where Sirius was sitting.

He raised an inquisitive brow at her books, "Bad day?"

"The worst," she huffed as she slumped into the chair beside him. She took out her Arithmancy book and then also her incomplete History of Magic notes. "I'm sorry, but I didn't quite get all the notes on dragon scares in History of Magic, so maybe you can fill in some of the gaps."

"Um, yeah," Sirius rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, still reclining in his chair.

She grinned at him, knowing very well what the answer was; "You didn't get any notes, did you?"

"Well, no." He was really uncomfortable now, alternating between raking his fingers through his hair and rubbing his neck. "Jillian . . ."

"Yeah?" He was acting so strangely, so awkward and cryptic. What was going on?

"Arithmancy's been pretty easy this year," he began and Jillian frowned. "I think I can handle it on my own."

"Great," she said, eyeing him oddly. "Then you can help me with those Undermining Spells - "

"You mean the Undeterminable Spells? I didn't get those either, sorry." Abruptly he stood, shouldering his books, "Guess that means we're done, huh?"

Jillian stared at him, confused. Arithmancy was 'pretty easy'? Only two days ago he was complaining that Professor Vector was determined to confuse him into oblivion. Had five years of numbers and meanings just come to him in his sleep? And what was this about not knowing the Undeterminable Spells after correcting her about the proper name?

Time to test a theory, "Well, why don't we go ask Professor Derbyshire then, he probably could help - "

"Nah, that's okay, Miss Perfect," he barked a weak sort of laugh. "If you want to spend your free time chasing after professors, then be my guest."

"Do you want to meet again tomorrow?" she asked as she stood, following him to the door.

"Sorry, Mitra wants me to come to her Quidditch practice and watch her fly."

"What about Saturday?"

"Can't. James and I have some atrocities to bestow on Ms. Norris," he hesitated, something on the tip of his tongue, but whatever it might have been, he didn't say. "See ya round, McKee."

He strode briskly out of the library, leaving a very confused Jillian standing on the threshold of the library. Did Sirius Black, one of her closest friends, just tell her off?

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"THAT FORKING, SUSPICIOUS, CALLOW BITCH!"

Toby stormed into the Ravenclaw common room, tearing off her Quidditch practice robes and tossing them, along with her Beater stick, angrily onto the unoccupied armchair by the fire. Jillian and Carly glanced at one another concernedly, and hurried over to the fireplace where Toby sat drumming her fingers on the arm.

She was trembling with fury. Neither had seen Toby this angry since the time Wilhelm Quiltz, a Slytherin second-year at the time, had been so bold as to call Carly a Mudblood in their first year at Hogwarts. Toby had been quick to come to her friend's aid. She'd called Quiltz more than a dictionary's worth of foul names and had been quick to point out that he had used it in the wrong context since Carly's parents were both wizards.

"Um," Carly pursed her lips together, uncertain how to address the Beater in this state, "Bad practice?"

"Oh, it was by the end," Toby nodded vigorously, still shaking. She seemed like she couldn't sit still; abruptly she rose from her seat and began to pace around the room. "Do you want to know what I heard today in the locker rooms?"

"Do we want to?" Jillian asked Carly.

"Oh, you're gonna want to know this, Miss Perfect," Toby snapped in response. "Unless you're content with Sirius ignoring you point blank."

That got Jillian's attention. Despite her distaste for gossip, she did often wonder why Sirius didn't wave or smile greeting to her in the halls. Or why he had abruptly ended their study sessions more than three weeks ago.

Toby squatted before Jillian and Carly and plunged on, "Okay, I was talking with Dria and Gwen at the end of practice. About our game against Gryffindor here in two weeks. Well you know that Sirius's girlfriend is one of the Chasers, right? Well, that's how I found out about this. Apparently Mitra and Sirius have been going pretty heavy since you two broke up."

"That's hardly a surprise," Carly reminded Toby slowly, treading carefully, "Everyone knows that the only thing Sirius likes about Mitra is the fact she's one of the easiest girls in school."

"And a half-way decent Chaser," Jillian added, trying to be fair.

"Buttocks and codswallop is all she is," Toby snorted then sharply shook her head, "Anyway, apparently when you and Sirius started going to the library all the time together, she got real suspicious and started spreading some vicious rumors."

"What? The usual slut and blighter routine?" Jillian joked. "If it's that, she's a little late. Lucius started calling me that our third year, remember?"

"You'd think so, but no. From what Dria heard from Audrey Yvonne who heard it from some Hufflepuff, she was saying you were still in love with Sirius and were using the Imperious Curse to make him . . . well . . . do sexual favors for you."

Jillian stood, "In the library?!"

"No one said she was intelligent enough to make up a decent lie. But oh," Toby let an evil chuckle escape her. Her steepled fingers and the malice gleaming in her eyes made her look very much like she'd sprout horns and tote a pitchfork at any moment. "Just wait 'til I get her within wand distance. Sirius won't be able to tell the difference between her and the Womping Willow."

"Toby." Carly reprimanded though her heart didn't seem to be in. "Is there an end to this story?"

"Oh, oh, yeah," she shook her head to clear away the plots of revenge brewing within. "Anywho, Sirius cornered her and told her to stop spreading those lies. She put on the charm and told him if he stopped seeing Jillian, she'd know he loved her and she'd stop spreading the rumors. He refused."

Jillian supposed she could guess the rest of this story, but Toby was one that had to cross all her T's and dot her I's before she considered anything done. "She didn't speak to him for a week, or . . . well, shag him."

"So he stopped talking to Jillian and was rewarded with a steamy evening in a broom closet," Carly finished. "Why didn't he just dump her like he did all those other girls that got too clingy?"

"Maybe she was the last one on the list," Toby shrugged, not really caring, "Maybe he just wanted to avoid the same fate Jillian had at her . . ." she took a deep breath, "_lovely_ imagination. No one's really figured that one out yet. Maybe I'll knock her off her broom at the match. Nah, that would be sinking to Slytherin tactics . . ."

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Toby had narrowed down the possible courses of vengeance to three, all perfectly terrible and worth, at the very least, a deduction in house points when Jillian wandered into the library in search of an extra Defense Against the Dark Arts volume to study from.

"Second aisle from the window," directed Madame Pince with an absentminded wave towards the window in question. She then eyed Jillian over the rim of her glasses. "Looking for another Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook are you?"

Jillian nodded, "Yes, mam."

Madame Pince nodded and returned to reading her newspaper, "You're the third one this week. I suggest _Hexes, Jinxes, and Everyday Countercurses_ by Quentin Uberwitsch, it has most of the spells the seventh-years cover."

"Thanks." Jillian turned away from the crone's desk, muttering under her breath, "_Hexes, Jinxes, and Everyday Countercurses_. _Hexes, Jinxes, and Everyday Countercurses_. _Hexes, Jinxes, and Everyday Countercurses_ . . ."

She turned down the row the librarian had pointed out to her and stopped dead as she heard a flirtatious coo from the alcove of the window.

"Sirius . . .Sirius, hun wait until later. What if she catches us?"

Shaking her head, Jillian scanned the shelves. _Hexes, Jinxes, and Everyday Countercurses_ . . . _Hexes, Jinxes, and Everyday Countercurses_ . . .

"Then I'll die a happy man." Jillian heard him kissing her collarbone and slowly progressing up her neck.

Aubrey . . . Brambones . . .Bedraham. She trailed her finger along the spines of the books, titles blurring as she tried to find the one that was going to save her grade. _Hexes, Jinxes, and Everyday Countercurses_ . . .

"You're so bad, Sirius," Mitra breathed, her voice dripping with amusement.

_Hexes, Jinxes, and Everyday Countercurses_ . . . _Hexes, Jinxes, and Everyday Countercurses_ . . . Tabershall. Ah, here we are. Jillian crouched before the shelves looking for Uberwitsch among the volumes.

"Ah-hum."

She couldn't take any more of this. With a sigh, she poked her head around the edge of the shelf. Mitra was seated in Sirius's lap, the first two buttons of her blouse undone and her blouse slightly askew. Sirius was pecking seductively up her neck, Mitra waiting patiently with her lips parted obediently.

"Excuse me," Jillian drawled politely, startling the girl to leap off Sirius's lap. "Do you mind? There are others that are actually trying to study here. And keep their lunches down as well, for that matter."

Sirius laughed, "I didn't know your lunch was a matter at hand."

"Well the Imperious Curse will do that to you, Black. You forget certain things like it is well after lunchtime for instance," beneath the conversational tone, her voice seeped with sarcasm.

That made the mischievous spark in his eye go out like a candle flame.

But it was Mitra that tried to appeal to her, "Jillian . . ."

"You know," Jillian remarked coolly, ignoring Mitra. She rose from her crouch behind the bookshelf, "I'd never thought I'd see the day Sirius Black was horse-whipped by his own greed."

She didn't wait for his retort, because she all ready knew what it was going to be. And had it not been for the satisfaction of a successful barb, Jillian knew she'd probably be storming away with tears stinging her eyes at the very thought of it.

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THANK YOU TO ALL MY REVIEWERS!

Kirie Himuro – Thanks! Toby does get back at Mitra in Chapter 8, you'll just have to wait and see how. Jillian's not exactly one who gets into revenge but creative vengeance is Toby's forte, so you'll just have to see.

Whimsical Firefly – Your thank you is down at the bottom, and I cannot say it enough.

Moon Burst – YES!!!! Next two chapters of She Will Be Loved are coming? SHA-WEET! I cannot believe I just said that ::authoress's turn to look sheepish::. But I did have to add that kiss in there, I had this weird dream one night that the Marauders were playing spin the bottle with Snape (which comes into play in the next chapter) and James and Sirius kissed!

Nicky Black – Glad your back! Hey that rhymes! Sorry, I'm just getting over those drugs they give you when you get your wisdom teeth pulled, so I'm a little spacey. Thanks for taking some time to read my fic!

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A SPECIAL NOTE TO WHIMSICAL FIREFLY . . .

At my school, when we have finals our parents can pitch in five bucks for a free movie ticket, so here you go ::hands author free movie ticket::, use it well. :)

Anyway the reason I'm calling this a 'special note' is because I wanted to assure you that despite the way this chapter makes Mitra look like a bitch, it will not be for long! Thanks to your review, I'm sidestepping a major-ly overused maxim. You'll see what I mean at the end of Chapter 8.

Thank you so much again, your review really helped me realize I could make Mitra's characterization stronger.


	5. Nightmares

CHAPTER 5 – Nightmares

By: Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT!!!!!!!!

I finally figured out how to get the fonts to stick. YES! You are all about to read one very ecstatic author here. So I posted this chapter as a sort of celebration ::hands out butterbeers all around::

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_He ran through a swirling mist of strange shapes and colors. Eerie carousel music played faintly in the background, skipping and scratchy from years of disuse. Shadows went in and out, but one thing was always clear: the screams._

_He could hear them at every turn he took, every bend and corner he passed through the demented, contorted shapes. Fear was whelming in him. He had to find someone. He had to find them before it was too late or . . . well, he just didn't know._

_Then at last, the twisted, contorted shapes came to an abrupt end and he stood on the outside of a ring of slim towering figures. The ring of men wore long shapeless gray robes and white masks, with slotted holes for noses and eyes. Death Eaters. He could feel fear grip his heart so hard, his breathing stopped for a moment in his throat._

_A girl lay helpless in the center of the circle, a mauve chemise in disarray, practically torn from her body. She tried to cover herself, but the effort was too much and signaled a Death Eater to step into the ring, his wand leveled at her._

"_Crucio."_

_She screamed. _

_Her face contorted into a hideous mask of agony. She collapsed to the floor, screaming and writhing as the Death Eaters around her laughed. Strands of short golden chestnut hair fell across her dark eyes as her body twisted itself into odd angles not of her will . . ._

"NOOOO!" Sirius pitched upright in his bed, his breath coming in ragged gasps, chest heaving. His hands shook uncontrollably as he tried to occupy them, running them through his hair over and over.

"Wha - What?" a thick voice said from the bed next to him, followed by a thud as James awoke abruptly from his sleep.

Remus struggled madly with his sheets, trying to untangle himself from them and sit at the same time, when at last he succeeded.

"What is it Sirius?" he asked sleepily and yawned.

"I was dreaming about sleeping," James grumbled as he stuffed his glasses onto his nose. "This better be good, Padfoot."

"James," Remus said reprovingly, seeing the panic in Sirius's eyes.

"It was just a nightmare," Sirius muttered to himself, raking his fingers through his hair once more. "Nothing real about it. Just a nightmare."

"I'd say so," James agreed, he too noticing the wild terror etched in his every shake. "What'd you dream about?"

_Calm down_, he told himself firmly, willing himself to stop shaking._ Just calm down._

"Padfoot? What's wrong?" James frowned. He'd never seen his best friend like this.

"Are you all right?" Remus asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, ready to fetch a teacher. "Do you need to see Madame Pomphrey?"

"No," he forced a shaky smile, "no, don't bother, Moony. I'm fine."

"What happened?" James was still frowning, watching Sirius carefully. "You've never woken up screaming like that before."

"I dreamed Snivellus and you were playing spin the bottle," he retorted with a lighthearted smile. His hands still were quivering, almost as bad as Wormtail did on occasion, but at least he could keep the alarm from his voice.

James laughed at first, then shook off the thought, "Ugh. I know what you mean, Padfoot. That's enough of a thought to _put_ me to sleep screaming."

Remus did not seem so easily swayed by Sirius's explanation. He eyed him closely, "Are you certain you're all right?"

Sirius laid back down on his pillow, "G'night, Moony. Prongs."

"Night, Padfoot."

James clicked the light off and the dormitory was bathed in blackness once more. He forced himself to close his eyes, but the nightmare was always waiting for him. Jillian's screams still lay in wait in his dreams.

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Wormtail poked his long nose into the library and darted wet eyes about the tables and shelves, all very sparsely occupied. The Map had said she was here in the library, three, no two aisles over from the window.

Ah, yes.

Jillian McKee, arms full of books, emerged from the row in context, her mark on the Map doing very much the same, and made her way to a table. Madame Pince glared at Jillian, eyeing her with distaste at touching so many of her precious books.

Wormtail swallowed a lump in his throat. Sirius was very likely going to kill him for doing this, but he desperately needed help with his History of Magic essay since Remus had gone off to perform prefect duties. Taking in another shuddery breath, he scurried over to the table Jillian now sat at pouring over a very thick and dusty volume.

"Um . . .Jillian," he squeaked, then pushed his hands into his mouth. Why did his voice insist on doing that every time he talked to a girl?

Jillian jumped slightly in her chair, and then looked up at him. "Oh, hello, Peter."

"Hi." Damn his squeaking voice.

When he did not speak for several moments, Jillian asked hesitantly, "Can I do something for you?"

"Well," he began quickly, "Remus is off being a prefect and James is at Quidditch practice and Sirius has disappeared with Mitra somewhere and I can't find anyone who might be able to help me with that History of Magic essay Professor Binns asked us to write on merfolk rights and then someone said you were in the library and I thought . . . well . . . I thought . . . maybe you could help me write it," he finished lamely.

"Oh, sure Peter," she smiled warmly at him, "Pull up a chair."

With a relieved giggle, Wormtail plopped down in the chair next to her and pulled out his crumpled piece of parchment. Jillian scanned it, brows knit in concentration, frowning every so often. Then with a sigh, she pulled out a fresh roll of parchment and set it before Peter.

"Your facts are wrong. Merpeople rights did not come into question until after werewolf rights. Werewolves were granted rights in 1682 not 1567 so that means that merpeople rights did not come before the Ministry until at least 1690. You also spelled 'precarious' wrong in your first sentence."

"Oh dear," Wormtail bit his thumbnail as he fervently read over his essay again.

"Don't worry," she said gently, "We'll just start over. Do you have your notes?"

"Um . . ." he fidgeted in his chair, "They aren't very good, but here you go."

Jillian raised an eyebrow at the scribbled and scratched slip of parchment that alternated between games of hangman and bits of wrong information.

"I didn't have a chance to look at Remus's notes before he left for his prefect duties," he explained by way of apology.

"That's okay," she hastily amended, though she was still frowning at a scribbled sentence about merpeople living off the coast of Scotland. Selkies were a breed of merpeople that were seals at sea and human on land, not half-seal, half-human creatures. She shook her head, "Let's start with a proper title . . ."

For the next half-hour, Wormtail and Jillian struggled through his essay, using Jillian's much more thorough and ordered notes. When the last sentence had been written and Wormtail had set his quill aside, he was quite content with the outcome. Jillian too seemed please.

"There's your essay," she said with a satisfactory smile. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a Defense Against the Dark Arts exam tomorrow I have to study for."

"It's on recognizing the signs of a sphinx trap. James told me."

She smiled, "Thanks, Peter, I knew that much. The rest I'll have to be rather good at fabricating or knowing here in the next hour or so."

As Jillian turned back to the large volume, Peter said suddenly, "He never really wanted to stop seeing you, you know."

"What?" Oops, apparently he had struck a nerve, like with Sirius. At least Jillian wasn't hurtling heavy objects at him for saying so.

"He, he, he still wanted to be friends, but, but stopped talking to you because that's what, what, what Mitra told him to, to do so she, she stop spreading those, those, those rumors," he stammered, watching carefully the flicker of vexation in her dark eyes.

"Oh," Jillian looked down at her hand on the table apparently stunned by the information, or perhaps not so much. She grinned at him, "Has Sirius ever told you you're rather tactless, Peter?"

"At least twice a day," he said promptly, quoting James when such instances would occur (which, mind you, had not been very recently).

She laughed, though it was a kind laugh that almost invited him to join in; he settled for smiling. "Thank you, though, for telling me."

"It was nothing," he blushed. Sirius was going to kill him for saying as much, but at least if Sirius needed to ever approach Jillian, his friend didn't have to worry about her marring his pretty image.

"I'll see you around," she smiled again before turning back to her book.

"I wish you two were still dating," he added quickly, "James and Remus do too."

"Peter . . ." she growled as politely as she could, her cheeks glowing slightly at the comment.

"Right. Bye." And with that Wormtail fled the library, hurrying back to the Gryffindor common room with a decent 'A' paper and a skeptically lighter conscience.

_----------------------------------------------------_

"Mum's inviting all the relatives for Christmas this year," Toby was complaining to Carly and Jillian as the three walked through the corridors to their next class. "I swear . . . if Sasha even so much as _coughs_ the same way I do, I'll throttle her."

"How old's your cousin?" Carly asked with a frown.

"Five."

Jillian really wasn't paying attention to Toby as she ranted about her large family and her irritating younger cousins and siblings. She was thinking. Brooding was more like it.

It was a week before the Christmas holidays were to begin, and her thoughts had suddenly steered to a dark venue, leaving her tired and weighted with mixed emotions. She wouldn't be going home for the holidays, because she had no home to go back to. Toby should feel lucky for have such a large family, when she, Jillian, had none. The only family she had ever called her own was six feet under in a graveyard with only worms for company.

Well, that wasn't exactly true. She had a great aunt twice removed who still lived in Kent who's house smelled of cheap incense and cigarette smoke. Then there were her grandparents in America, but she didn't want to go so far away for the holidays, considering she'd never known her grandparents as anything but Mr. and Mrs. McKee seniors.

"What's your family going to do for the holidays?" Toby was asking Carly.

"Well, Gabby's coming home from Italy with some new boyfriend. And Brom and his wife are bringing their baby girl so I can see her."

"Ah, to be the youngest of the family," Toby sighed reminiscently, "How I envy you."

Jillian' eyes wandered over the corridors. Wreaths and garlands hung everywhere and had managed to stay that way despite Peeves's obvious efforts to dislodge them. A group of Slytherins was approaching, Lucius at the head talking loftily about a Christmas party his parents would be holding at their home.

Jillian stepped out of his way in time as he said, "It's really to be a small affair, but nothing as gaudy as that ball the Blacks hold every year. Really, they'll invite practically _anyone_ . . ."

Bleeding stuffed shirt, maybe she should give him a good hex. No, that would be stooping to childish levels, even despite her mood. Jillian stuck to glaring. Lucius seemed to feel her eyes on him and his eyes flicked over her, glinting steely in the sudden change of light.

Jillian froze in her tracks. She knew those eyes. Only last summer . . . Something cool trickled over her senses. She didn't even feel herself pivoting and stalking after them. She didn't feel herself tapping Lucius on the shoulder. She didn't realize any of what she had done until her fist connected solidly with his nose and the crunch of bone woke her from her trance.

"JILLIAN!" Toby and Carly were pealing her back as she cocked another punch to land on Lucius's jaw.

Blood blossomed in Lucius's hands. The last time she'd broken his nose, blood had been dripping out of the slits of a Death Eater's mask.

Anger fueled her; her sight blurred at the edges as she stared at the curled Lucius before her. She tried to lunge for him again.

"YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD! COWARD! IS THAT HOW YOU GET YOUR KICKS?! TORTURING AND MURDERING AN INNOCENT HUMAN BEING?! IS IT? ANSWER ME!"

Lucius straightened, blood running from his crushed nose. He looked every inch the wronged man, even with a Slytherin throwing a restraining arm in front of him. Yet the corner of his mouth twitched with a certain satisfaction. "I don't have the slightest idea of what you mean."

"Should we let her at him?" Toby puffed as Jillian struggle to hurt Lucius intensified. Students hastily had gathered around the two, forming a circle. Others were pushing for a glimpse of Jillian McKee, who had seemingly lost it. Carly seemed on the verge of saying 'yes' when a voice tore through the silence.

"MISS MCKEE!" Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the corridor and the crowd parted for the Transfiguration teacher, flanked by Professor Flitwick and Professor Vector, the Arithmancy witch.

Toby and Carly set Jillian on the ground gently as the teachers came in to take care of the mess. Professor Vector came and helped Jillian to her feet, a hand firmly grasping her arm. Jillian's face was glowing and her lower lip was firmly tucked between her teeth as she glared at Lucius, who was being seen to by Professor Flitwick.

"Move along," McGonagall was snapping at the gaggle of other students. "Go on to class, you'll not be excused for being late."

This broke up a vast majority of the students, sending them scurrying on their way. Carly and Toby hesitated, casting anxious glances at Jillian, but when they caught sight of McGonagall's murderous glare, they too begrudgedly left.

"And you," she said in a deadly softly to Jillian, "My office. Now."

Professor Vector firmly began to guide Jillian away, but when they walked by Lucius, who was being tended to by Professor Flitwick, Jillian halted for a moment.

"We'll finish this, you and I," she breathed under her breath.

"Enjoy detention, McKee, because it's the last thing you'll ever know," he spat back, just as silently.

"Off to the Hospital Wing, Lucius," Professor Flitwick scurried before him and Lucius obediently followed.

"Come along," the Arithmancy witch tugged her along after McGonagall's furiously billowing green robes.

She was in trouble. She was in so, so much trouble.

_----------------------------------------------------_

"Attacking a fellow student in broad daylight? Brawling like a common Muggle?" Professor McGonagall was thundering ten minutes later in her office. "And before an entire hall of witnesses? Really, Miss McKee, I would have expected more from you."

She was referring to the vain hope that Toby's talent for vengeance and mischief, both effective and discreet, had rubbed off on Jillian after seven years. It hadn't. Jillian had a certain streak in her that refused to let her keep any secret for long or do any sneaking of that sort. It often proved her unmaking in cases such as these.

"Your actions were entirely uncalled for. What were you thinking?" With a scowl firmly planted on her lips, McGonagall sat promptly at her desk and began to scribble rabidly on a slip of paper, "Two weeks detention. Your visiting privileges to Hogsmeade are henceforth revoked for the remainder of the year, and fifty points from Ravenclaw for your obvious disregard for class, Miss McKee. You will report to me for your first detention on Saturday."

"Yes, professor."

McGonagall glanced at Jillian through her square-rimmed spectacles. Jillian sat stonily in a chair before the desk, her fists clenching and unclenching while she gazed steadily at her lap; she was worrying her lower lip.

"Would you care to say anything in your own defense?"

"No, professor," Jillian rose from her chair and excepted the slip of paper. "You were right; it was rather pretentious of me."

Professor McGonagall watched Jillian carefully. She was rather collective about the ordeal, cool and calm. Most students in her position would be at least faulting the blame on the other. Most students like her, who rarely suffered punishments for misbehavior, would be astounded at the mention of detention at the very least, but Jillian, oddly, was not.

"You are not to go within wand distance of Lucius Malfoy again, Miss McKee. Do you understand?" McGonagall added carefully after another moment of scrutiny.

"Yes, professor. May I go?"

With a nod, McGonagall returned to a stack of papers on her desk, "Go on to class, Miss McKee."

"Thank you, professor."


	6. Christmas at Hogwarts

CHAPTER 6 – Christmas at Hogwarts

By: Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

----------------------------------------------------

"Jillian are you sure that you want to stay here for the holidays?" Carly asked for the thousandth time as she packed her trunk.

Jillian sat on her bed, prying the crystal globe of a seeing glass off its base. She shook her head as she continued to work, "I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

"You won't be a burden!" Carly insisted as she tossed another pile of folded cloths into her trunk.

"Aw, come on, Miss Perfect! Mum loves you because you actually do work around the house. You're practically her second daughter," Toby said as she casually flipped through a magazine.

Carly frowned at her, "Are you finished packing all ready?"

"Nope."

"Have you even started?"

"Nope."

"When do you intend to pack?"

"Later."

"Toby," with a dismal shake of her head, Carly returned to packing.

Jillian grinned and set the half-removed crystal ball aside, "I appreciate the offer, truly, but I have detention with McGonagall, remember? And besides," she added as an after thought, "I have a project I have to finish for Professor Flitwick."

"McGonagall I'm sure would let you do your detention after the holiday," Toby tossed the magazine into her trunk and sat up cross-legged on her bed. "And this project . . .no better time than later wouldn't ya say?"

"No better time like the present, Toby," Carly corrected reproachfully. She turned to Jillian, "I still don't think you should be alone on the holidays, I mean with your mum gone and everything else going on, you need family."

"Yes, Dr. Spocker," Jillian rolled her eyes with a lazy smile that Toby laughed at. She smiled a true smile and then said, "I'll be fine, Carly. It's not so bad really, I've never stayed at school before, it should be fun."

"Okay," Carly squinted at Jillian for a moment scrutinizing the sincerity of her statement.

"I'll be fine!" she insisted.

"You're not staying to duel with Malfoy are you?" Toby asked suddenly.

"Of course not, she's not that stupid." Carly answered curtly. "Done!"

Jillian shrugged, "What she said. He's going home for the holidays. And besides that, I think that's grounds for expulsion isn't it?"

"No. Only if you kill him, I think. Speaking of which, I've got a letter to write. I'll see you two down in the common room," and with that, Toby disappeared down the dormitory stairs.

Carly shook her head again, "She's going to wait 'til that last second to pack, I know it."

Jillian eyed the clutter around Toby's bed. With a sigh she pulled out her wand and flourished it at the mess, "_Pack_!"

Obediently cloths and robes folded themselves neatly, books and magazines stacked nicely at the bottom of the trunk along with Toby's broom, cauldron, and Beater stick. She grinned in satisfaction, "That should help her out a little don't you think?"

Carly smiled, "You're too nice, Jilly. I was going to make her panic for a little and then teach her that spell."

"You're too cruel, Carly Spocker," Jillian laughed as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. "You're just too cruel."

_----------------------------------------------------_

"Have a good Christmas!" Jillian waved after Toby and Carly. "I'll owl your presents to you!"

"You better!" Toby said threateningly, but the severe look on her face soon broke into a smile and laughter. They waved final good-byes before stepping into the warmth of the carriages.

Jillian smiled weakly, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her wool hoodie before turning back into the school.

"Where is he?" James was asking as he stood to the side of the stairs, looking over the heads of the other students in search of a particularly tall and tawny Gryffindor seventh-year.

"I think he was still packing when I left him." Remus said casually.

"Well he better hurry up," James snapped impatiently, "Or the train is going to leave without him."

"Ah, here we are," Remus nodded to Sirius as he pushed his way through a cluster of chattering third years. He wore a sweater and jeans, yet he was coat-less and scarf-less despite the snow on the ground.

"Padfoot, what do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm staying," he explained, "Tell your mum I'm sorry I can't make it this year. I've got a couple things to patch up."

"With Mitra?" James spat bitterly. He had not spent a day in the company of his best friend for a long while thanks very much to that girl and her clique of fanatically obsessed friends.

Sirius shook his head, "She's home for Christmas," when he studied the sullen look on his best friend's face he added, "Just have a good time without me, Prongs, go and shag Evans if you like."

James grinned, "I'm not like you, Padfoot."

"I'd hope so," he snorted, "There's only room for one of us, you know."

"Sod off, I could take you down any day."

With a laugh, Sirius clapped James on the shoulder and waved good-bye to Remus before trotting back into the school. He slipped into an alcove and pulled out a slip of parchment and his wand.

He touched his wand to the parchment, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Just as always Remus's tidy scrawl appeared upon the parchment with their nicknames and a map of the school. Filch was prowling the third floor corridor, Ms. Norris (now sporting bright green stripes no one could seem to remove as retribution for ratting out he and James after a venture to the kitchens) was on the fifth floor. Teachers were in their offices or classrooms; a couple of students were in their dormitories packing frantically before the train left without them on it. He scanned it all quickly and saw the mark he was looking for. Surprisingly it was in the kitchens, seated by the fireplace.

"Mischief managed," he murmured and the parchment swiped blank.

Intrigued, Sirius strode briskly out of the Entrance Hall and hurried down to the ground floor.

_----------------------------------------------------_

"Master Sirius! What can we gets for you?"

"Would Master Sirius like a cup of chocolate?"

Jillian looked up from the Charms textbook in her lap, the cup of tea beside her forgotten. Sirius stood on the threshold of the kitchen door; a dozen house elves had come to gather around his knees, eager to fetch him anything he desired. Swiftly she tucked away a clay figurine and her wand into her pocket.

"Yeah, two mugs, if you would," he said dismissively, his eyes resting on Jillian. She quickly glanced back down at the page she was reading, quite intent on ignoring him.

Quickly the house elves scurried away to do his bidding and, much to Jillian's displeasure, Sirius came to sit himself beside her near the flames of the fire. But despite a great deal of effort Jillian couldn't seem to summon the anger that she had once felt towards him.

_I must getting soft_, a part of her mind warranted, _I must be really getting soft. _

Just as Jillian opened her mouth to tell him to go away, a rather small, gangly-armed elf approached the two of them with a tray of two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, topped with cinnamon and whipped cream, along with a plate of assorted biscuits and stuffed pastries.

"Thank you," Sirius said, selecting a cream tart and taking a bite.

"Would Mistress Jillian like anything?"

"No thank you," she smiled at the elf, snapping the book closed, "I was just leaving."

"Come on, Jillian! It's an insult if you don't eat something."

All ready on her feet and glaring, Jillian darted a glance at the house elf still waiting patiently, he nodded fervently, "Yes, yes, elves live to serve. We like to serve."

"Fine," with a harrumph she collapsed back down on the hearth and took a clotted chocolate cream from the plate. The elf beamed at her before scurrying away. "You made him say that, didn't you?"

"No, but apparently this is your first time down to the kitchens," Sirius grinned at her before taking a sip from his mug of hot chocolate.

"Don't get cocky with me, Black," she snapped quietly.

"Here, eat. You look like you could do with something." He tossed two of the buttery biscuits into her lap.

"Why the sudden concern?" she asked, nibbling on one.

"We're still friends aren't we?"

"Are we?" she returned, flipping back to her page. When he did not answer straight away, she turned her attention to the book in her lap.

He watched her carefully as she scanned a page. Her hair hung lank and lifeless across her face, her cheekbones were rather more pronounced than before. She was looking rather paler than usual. There were blotchy, dark circles under her eyes, like she had been getting little sleep.

"I bent so she'd stop those lies," he said at last, "It was nothing against you."

"I know," she murmured, "But it still hurt."

She gnawed at the corner of her mouth. She did not just mean Sirius's abandonment and he knew it. She also meant the abandonment of her mother.

Stuffing some biscuits into his pockets, Sirius stood. "Let's get out of here."

"And go where? Do what? Unlike you, I have work to do."

He toed the book closed, spawning a little cry of indignation from Jillian, and yanked her onto her feet. "Forget work for two seconds, Miss Perfect, and hear me out."

"Fine!" though she tried desperately to sound vexed, Sirius could see the interest dancing in her eyes.

"There's a frozen lake out there, that's just dying to be skated."

"And?"

"Snowball fights after that."

"And?"

"I believe there's a game of wizard's chess in the evening some time."

She smiled, "You've got this all planned out don't you?"

Sirius laughed, "I'd like you to think so."

_----------------------------------------------------_

The next several days took a pleasant turn for Jillian. Sirius kept her company much of the day and the evening except when she went to complete her detention. They spent most of their afternoons outdoors, skating or having snowball wars, or just walking along the lake. They visited with Hagrid, and spent tea time with him in his hut before returning to the castle for dinner. Evenings were spent in the Gryffindor common room (the Fat Lady had been kind enough to have a new password for the holidays so Jillian might be able to visit) playing cards or wizard's chess or simply talking while Jillian worked on varied crafts.

There was a great deal of that, talking. With no Mitra to threaten Sirius with rumors about Jillian, it was rare to see the two apart. Once or twice a teacher would catch the two in the hallways innocently wandering and chatting, both keeping a respectful yet discreet distance between each other.

Jillian's health took a turn for the better under Sirius's watchful eye, and though she would never admit it to him, his distractions were exactly what she had needed over the holiday. It became easier to talk of her mother in passing, and the mention of family did not flare as painfully in her chest.

On Christmas Eve Day, Sirius and Jillian had retreated to the Great Hall for a game of cards. Each was seated cross-legged on top of the Ravenclaw table, with half the deck in hand. In a blur of red and white, they were quickly flipping their cards over, desperately trying to slap their hand on the first matching pair.

"So," Jillian asked, her eyes never leaving the cards, "What'd you get James for Christmas?"

"You're trying to distract me. It's not going to work."

She smiled, "Damn."

"What about you?"

"I made my presents this year."

"Oh," he stopped flipping his cards, signaling a time out in the game, "so that's what you were doing."

"Yeah. I have to save what I can, if I'm going to buy a flat this summer. Mum's life insurance will cover first expenses, but if I want to pay for the rent and upkeep I'll need every penny."

"What'd you make for Toby and Carly?"

Jillian laughed slightly at the memory, "For Toby, it was . . . well, sort of an inside joke." When this did not seem to sway Sirius's interest, she sighed and leaned closer. "Okay, Toby, Carly, and I always spend August together before school starts. Before mum died, they were sleeping over at my place and Toby woke us up, laughing in her sleep."

"All right."

"Well, it just so turned out that she was having this real weird dream about a bunch of house elves in Elvis costumes dancing to her favorite song. So for Christmas I made her this snow globe with dancing house-elves in it, that plays 'Cruel to Be Kind' when you tap it."

Sirius laughed, "I am going to have to see that."

Jillian smiled, pleased by his reaction, "I'll make sure she lets you. That gift took me the bloody longest."

"And Carly?"

"A skirt made out of a pillow shame and then a shirt that I made out of two Mum's scarves. They have four different patterns, though, when you touch your wand to them the pattern changes."

"You did all that?" his brow rose several degrees at this and Jillian nodded. Bloody hell, he thought that the Marauders Map was a feat in itself, which it was, but to have a permanent transfiguration charm on a piece of clothing or a continuous mobility spell? That was impressive.

"And what about my gift?" he asked after a moment, with a sly smile.

With a dramatic sigh, Jillian pulled a package from behind her, "I suppose since you've been such a good boy for once, I can let you have this early."

"You're serious?" he said, taking the present.

She smiled, "Go ahead and open it."

He tore away the green paper and opened the box. Inside was a tumult of candies and sweets (apparently from Honeydukes at the courtesy of Toby and Carly) but buried at the bottom were two scarlet quills with gold spines, two bottles of red ink, and two rolls of parchment with ornate markings along the edges of the paper. His face fell a bit.

"Oh, don't worry, it isn't school supplies," Jillian hastily mollified. She took a roll of the parchment along with a bottle of ink and a quill, "Here, let me show you how it works."

She dipped the tip of the quill into the ink and wrote something on the parchment. She hid it from sight and motioned to the second roll. "Open that one up."

Sirius did as she asked him. Written in Jillian's tidy hand in red were the words _'Hello, Sirius.'_ He looked up at her, confused, to see her scribbling something more. When he glanced down at the parchment in his hand, he saw words forming, _'Do you believe me now?'_

"How did you do that?" he demanded.

She smiled, setting the parchment aside, "Magic. It's two way communication. Whatever one person writes on their parchment, it appears on the others and vice versa. I thought that maybe you and James could use them during class. The ink is only visible to those who write in it, so teachers will think you're copying notes down. But don't think to use them for cheating, because I put anti-cheating spells on the quills and on the paper.

"To get rid of what you've written, swipe the plume of the quill up like this," she swept the feathered end of the quill upward across the page and the words promptly disappeared. "And that's it, really."

He was looking at her so oddly. He shook his head, looking down at the parchment with renewed respect. He looked back up at her, "This is bloody brilliant, you know."

Surprised by the compliment, she blushed, "Thanks."

"Now I understand why you're in Ravenclaw"

"What, did you think I should have been in Hufflepuff?" she teased and Sirius shuddered.

"No! Bloody hell no," he shook his head, "I thought maybe Gryffindor. You know 'Where dwell the brave at heart; their daring, nerve, and chivalry set Gryffindors apart.'"

Jillian roared with laughter, falling back on the table, much to Sirius's confusion. When she sat back up, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, she apologized, "Sorry, I'm sorry, it's just . . . you remembered that?"

"Well," he said stiffly; "It was this year's song."

"Oh," Jillian shook her head, "Nah, I'm a Ravenclaw, through and through. I listen to my brain more than my heart. I'm hardly brave, anyway."

Sirius decided not to argue with her on the issue, though many instances proved her wrong. "But thank you. It's great."

"What's the matter?" she asked when he raked his fingers through his hair.

"Now you've got me worried about my gift," he chuckled, picking up his cards, ready to continue when Jillian slapped the pile.

"Well, I think you can rest at ease, because you just gave me an early Christmas gift. I just won," she stuck her tongue out at him, and began to move her other hand towards the box of candy, "And as a reward I get your Chocoballs."

"Like bloody hell you do!" he said tackling her to the table, his hands reaching for the crook of her knees, a particularly ticklish spot of hers, and her unprotected sides.

Jillian went into whoops of mirth, smacking him on the back, trying to peel him off, all the while laughing, "I WON! HEY, HEY I WON, BLACK! FAIR AND SQUARE! OH!"

_----------------------------------------------------_

Jillian slept that night in the Gryffindor common room, curled up on a velvety soft couch, one of Sirius's many throw rugs wrapped around her (apparently he got dreadfully cold in the winter and kept a healthy supply to keep him warm). When she awoke, it was to bright yellow sunlight pouring through the windows and a mountain of presents billowing out from under the Christmas tree.

She smiled as she recognized her name on several of the gifts.

Feeling giddy and tingling, she bounced up the stairs of the boy's dormitory to find Sirius still asleep, still abed, and curled up under several layers of blankets. She leapt onto the pile of blankets with a joyful whoop.

"BLOODY HELL!"

Jillian straddled his stomach, and when he tried to pull the coverlets over his head, she yanked them down, grinning down at his scowling face.

"You look rather cute with your hair like that," she remarked playfully, showing him the piece of his black hair that was standing straight up. "You just may be able to single-handedly make Mohawks come back."

"Sod off, Jilly."

"Aw," she frowned comically, "Be nice now, Sirius, it's Christmas! Presents! Turkey dinner and chicken dumplings!"

"I hate turkey," he reminded her, and rolled over to go back to sleep.

She punched him solidly on the shoulder, much to Sirius's bereavement and pain, "Come on, you old miser. We've got gifts to open. Well, I do at least . . ."

"All right!" he groaned, shoving Jillian to the foot of the bed and sat up, legs dangling over the side of the bed. "Now don't look."

Jillian adverted her eyes as Sirius slipped on a pair of flannel bottoms and a baggy gray sweatshirt. They then made their way down the stairs to see they were the last to arrive at the tree, and the remaining mountain was for the two of them.

"I guess we made out pretty well this year. This one's for you," Sirius tossed her a package from Carly. Jillian smiled down at the package, and just as she began to work loose the ribbons, Sirius let out a yell of surprise.

"James you bleeding cocker!" he exploded suddenly, staring down at a record, "He didn't!"

"What?"

"Do you know how hard it is to find this album?" Sirius demanded of her, showing her a moving album cover of a wizarding group, Alder Cauldrons. "I've been looking for this for ages!"

"You like them?"

"Love them. James and I . . . we have a weakness for hard core," Sirius was still staring in amazement at the album, but at last set it aside and dove into the rest of his gifts.

Jillian was surprised by how many people had sent her condolences in the form of brightly wrapped boxes and bags. Carly had bought Jillian a book on helpfully advanced hexes and curses. Toby had sent her a new wool hoodie, a forest green one to replace her navy blue one, and several blouses that went rather well with the jeans her father had given her. The Williams family had also sent her two boxes of fudge and a fondue kit to go along with it (apparently this also compensated for a flat welcoming gift as well). The Spocker family had mutually pitched in a Pensieve box with memories of Jillian's mother. Remus had sent her a rather interesting model of a Quidditch pitch that showed different plays and maneuvers, most likely at James's suggestion for Jillian had showed little interest in Quidditch. James, much to her surprise, had even been kind enough to indulge her in a bag of Zonko's pranks, with a simple note hoping she might use them on Mitra as retribution.

"Where's your gift?" Jillian asked when all the wrappings had been cleared away. She felt rather rude asking, but he had mentioned something about it earlier the other day.

"Ah, yes, hold on for one moment," he bounded up the stairs to the boy's dormitory and soon returned with a rather large, shaking box. "Be careful, he doesn't like it when you rattle him too bad."

"Him?" Jillian echoed as Sirius set the box before her and collapsed into an armchair to watch.

"Open it," he encouraged, waving a hand at the box again.

Hesitantly, Jillian did, careful not to jostle the box too badly as she stripped away wrapping paper. The box tumbled to the side and a small chocolate kitten, no more than two months old, sauntered out into the light.

"My giddy aunt! Sirius you didn't!"

She held out her hand to the cat, and tentatively he sniffed her fingers. Then much to Jillian's immense pleasure and excitement, the kitten rubbed against her hand. With the first introductions (of a sort), he brushed all along Jillian's knees, before falling into her lap, purring his approval.

As she gently scratched his white underbelly, she looked up at Sirius. He was smiling.

"How . . . how did you know?"

"That you always wanted a cat?" Sirius shrugged nonchalantly; "Toby and Carly mentioned it once, when they were planning your eviction party. They thought maybe to get you one before you left for Hogwarts, but - "

"Toby's dad is allergic," Jillian finished with him. They smiled at one another, when Jillian suddenly felt sharp teeth pricking her fingers.

"Ouch! You've got a set of teeth on you, don't you?" she addressed the kitten in her lap, playfully shaking him. He grasped her hand firmly in his paws as he nibbled on her fingers, then after a moment he licked them. "He must be hungry."

As Jillian rose with the kitten in the cradle of her arms, Sirius asked, "What are you gonna name him?"

"I was thinking Chocoball."

"Chocoball?"

"Yeah. He looks like one, doesn't he?" Jillian smiled down at the ball of brown fur in her arms.

Sirius laughed, "Whatever you say, Miss Perfect, he's yours now. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Sirius."

_----------------------------------------------------_

HOW'S THE CHARACTERIZATION?

I have this certain dread in my gut that my characterization is shaky. Would someone please tell me if I'm right or not? If Jillian seems a little out of character it could possibly be attributed to stress and grief, but I'd still like to know what you (my readers) think.

_----------------------------------------------------_

THANK YOU TO MY REVIEWERS!

Kirie Himuro – It's funny, I've never seen Mean Girls either (I know, I'm a shame to my own pen name!), but I'm so glad you liked Lucius's second bloody nose; I didn't know if it sounded right. Thank you for being such a loyal reviewer though.

kat-firefly – You read the whole first fic?! Wow, I didn't know anyone would want to do that for my fic ::scratches head, still obviously impressed:: All I can really say is thank you SOOOOO much.

Nicky Black – I love it when I get reviews from you! You always make me want to continue to write and post and come up with stories, thank you. And about Jillian and Sirius getting back together . . .

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TO ALL MY READERS AND REVIEWERS . . .

The whole story is now complete, but is still in need of some work.

To be honest, I think I'm due for a writer's block here soon, because I can't seem to get into the swing of this one as much as I did the first.


	7. Plans

CHAPTER 7 – Plans

By Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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It was early one morning that found Sirius down in the common room, seated across from a sleeping Jillian, curled up on the couch with Chocoball. One slender hand rested on the sleeping cat, the other arm curled under her pillow. He studied her for the longest moment, taking in the slight part of her lips, the way her chest rose and fell as she breathed.

He hadn't slept well again last night. The strange nightmare had come again as it came every night now, but the torment was always different; beating, hexing, burning, raping . . . He shuddered at the memory of that last one. It had been the one that had woken him at four this morning, gasping and drenched in a cold sweat. It had sent him downstairs to make certain Jillian was still there and had not disappeared since he had left her.

There was a mew from the couch as Chocoball awoke and slipped out from under Jillian's hand to land on the floor. The little chocolate kitten scampered away up the stairs to the boy's dormitory, leaving Jillian and Sirius alone. Jillian moaned and rolled onto her back, unfolding her arms above her and stretching her toes to the foot of the couch. She saw Sirius out of the corner of her eye, and tossed her head to the side to smile at him.

"Morning," she said softly, her voice still sleep heavy. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," he lied.

"Oh," she moaned again, twisting her back ever so to crack it. She lay with her arms extended above her head, smiling at him.

"You know that you snore, don't you?" he asked with a grin.

"I do not, I purr," she corrected indignantly, "Women purr, men snore."

"Purring or snoring or whatever you call it, you still breathe rather heavy for a girl," he grinned wickedly at her. In mild retaliation, Jillian stuck her tongue out at him. She watched as he picked up a camera that one of the second years had left in the common room.

"Don't even dream about it, Black," she warned him, when he twirled the dial to a new frame.

"About what? This?"

Jillian looked up only long enough to be blinded by a bright flash of light and hear the loud click of a shudder.

"Sirius!" she screamed, throwing the blankets away to chase after him, "Give me that!"

"It's not so terrible if you squint at it long enough!" he laughed over his shoulder as he slipped through the portrait and out into the school.

"Sirius, I'm going to ruddy murder you!" she shouted at him, laughing. Leave it to Sirius Black to see the end of the holiday as a time to torment her.

She heard his laughter ringing off the stone as he disappeared down the stairs. Jillian scrambled down the stairs, jumping the trick one, in hot pursuit, shouting insults at him that she really didn't mean.

"You slimy bugger! Come on," she gasped as they bounded onto the second floor, "This isn't funny any more!"

"Yield, McKee?" he shouted back.

"Never!"

She was tight on his heels, catching a glimpse of his leg as he rounded a bend. She had him . . .

Abruptly someone grabbed her around the middle and a warm hand clamped over her mouth to stop her from screaming; it was Sirius. His face had gone oddly solemn and still, his ears perked as he listened. He put a finger to his lips, motioning her to be silent. Jillian nodded and his crushing grip lessened. They slipped into a gap between a suit of armor and the wall. Jillian was pressed tight against Sirius's chest, her ear so close she could hear his heartbeat.

Then she could hear what had made him stop so suddenly.

". . . not act over the holiday? All the students will be at home; it would be easiest then - " lumberous footsteps approached, growing louder and clearer as it neared.

"Because, you twit, He doesn't want it to look like just another raid," snapped a second voice that made Sirius visibly stiffen. He would know Severus Snape's oily voice apart from any other.

The footsteps stopped in the center of the hall, pausing only feet from Jillian and Sirius. Jillian closed her eyes and willed her heart to be silent. There was a certain tension in the air, a certain feeling of foreboding that surged into the hall with the two newcomers. They shouldn't be hearing this that was for certain.

Sirius craned his head around the helm of the armor, trying to see what was going on. His muscles twitched and strained painfully for his attempt and the only thing that was clear was a burly shadow to which Snape only could peer over its shoulder.

It was the burly student that seemed rather apprehensive; his head darted from side to side, searching, "But right under Dumbledore's nose . . ."

Severus replied silkily, his tone icy and strained in his irritation, "That's _exactly_ what the Dark Lord wants, Warren. He wants it to happen _exactly_ under Dumbledore's nose."

The voices soon faded, and it was another long moment before either Jillian or Sirius spoke. They stood crammed in between the suit of armor and the wall, pressed together chest to chest.

"Did . . .did they just . . ." Jillian found it hard to breath.

Sirius nodded mutely.

"Did you see what they looked like?"

"Only Snivellus," he sighed, raking his fingers through his hair in disappointment.

"We have to tell someone," she said at last, so quietly it was barely above a whisper. "We have to tell McGonagall or Dumbledore or someone."

"Tell them what?" Sirius asked impatiently, "That we were eavesdropping on two of the most obvious Death Eaters in Hogwarts and heard them mention Dumbledore and Voldemort in the same conversation? Yeah, that will go over real well . . . twenty points to Ravenclaw and Gryffindor for stating the obvious!"

"I'm sorry, all right," she snapped back, stung by his words, "It was a stupid suggestion, okay? I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I . . . I just don't know, all right?" he said by way of an apology, though his tone was a little harsher than he meant. It was frustrating to have stumbled on something so vital, and yet having heard nothing that could be of use. He could sense Jillian's frustration as well, thrumming from her body through the angry stiffness with which she rested her hands on his shoulders.

With a sudden jolt he realized that there was very little room between them. They were pressed torso to torso. His hands had unknowingly gripped her upper arms at some interval, drawing her closer. Her body was so soft; even the sharp pinch of her hipbone in his thigh wasn't unpleasant. He abruptly dropped his hands to his sides, "Um . . .Jillian . . ."

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we should get out of here."

"What?" Then she too seemed to realize her position, "OH! Oh, bloody hell, I'm sorry!"

She stumbled out from behind the suit of armor, tripping on its pedestal and her elbow knocking the halberd situated in its gloved hand. The suit of armor turned his helm and seemed to give her a reproachful glare from within the slit.

"I'm sorry," she apologized to it, her cheeks glowing.

And despite himself, Sirius laughed, "You're too clumsy for your own good, Jilly."

"Well it was your fault," she accused with a smile, glad that he hadn't noticed she hadn't quite minded being crammed so tightly next to him.

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AN EXTRA DISCLAIMER . . .

My Dad was reading this one book (I think it was a John Stanford novel, Hidden Prey or something) and the main character was a woman who fell asleep in her partner's car. So the line, "I do not, I purr . . .Women purr, men snore," is from that book, though I couldn't tell you which one it is. It was just one of those cute lines you had to put in somewhere.

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THANK YOUS!

Kirie Himuro – No, thank YOU! I'm glad that chapter cheered you up, and made your day a little bit more sufferable. I'm sorry about your row with your friend, though, those really suck monkey butt. Just know that I will forever have an upper-chapter in my fics for you!

Kat-firefly – Your new chapter is just fine! It gives the story a bit more of an interesting plot (not saying it wasn't interesting before, because it was interesting). And of course the story isn't over yet! I still have to explain what Voldemort's plans are, and what Toby's revenge will be, and the ever present question will Sirius and Jillian EVER get back together . . . ::shakes head:: There's just too much left un-answered, I'm sorry but I'll just have to finish it. :)

Moon Burst – The cat, Chocoball, is a tribute to my own three cats (Salem, Hobbs, and Chloe). When Chocoball was nibbling on Jillian's fingers and then licked them, Salem does that too when you wrestle with him. They're all so sweet.

Anyway, Toby seeks her vengeance on Mitra in Chapter 8 so you may not yet have to worry. I love the way your fic is going though, it's really awesome and unique, PLEASE post the next two chapters!

Nicky Black – Okay, I can't answer your first two questions, but I can answer that last one about Mitra and why he's still going out with her. Wait . . . I actually can't answer that one either, because it's explained in Chapter 8! Or sorta of explained anyway. Oh, damn, I hate having to keep everyone in anticipation! Maybe I'll post two chapters today . . .

By the way, when are you going to update your Black Rose fic? I really did like the direction it was taking and I'm still really curious about her mother. You haven't given up on it have you? I truly hope not.


	8. The Horrible Howler

CHAPTER 8 – The Horrible Howler

By Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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"Hip, hip hooray. Hip, hip hooray . . ." Toby bounded into the dormitory and with a little vault flipped on her back to lay on her bed.

Carly eyed her warily, setting aside a bottle of nail polish, "What are you so happy about?"

"Oh, you'll see," she smiled and continued to hum to herself, her fingers conducting the tune.

Jillian and Carly shared a worried glance before shrugging; Toby was being Toby and would keep her secret until she saw fit to reveal it. Carly returned to painting her nails and reading the thirty-second chapter about animagi for her Transfiguration paper. Jillian absently stroked Chocoball as he slept, before returning to the piece of parchment before her.

The edges of the parchment were embossed with ornate symbols, symbols Jillian had used to seal in the peak-proof and anti-cheating spells. Sirius had not given the second scroll of paper to James, but to Jillian as a means of communication for them now that Mitra had come back. She ran the scarlet plume along her chin before dipping the tip into the red ink and answering Sirius's question scrawled on the parchment.

'_What's going on?'_ was dashed in his hand across the top of the paper.

'_Toby'_, she wrote back. _'She's happy about something, but she won't say why.'_

'_Maybe, she's planned something for April Fool's tomorrow'_, appeared upon the page.

Jillian smiled. _'What? Do you and James have something planned all ready?'_

'_Come on, Jilly. We've had this planned since the second week of first term. Snivellus isn't going to know what hit him.'_

Her smiled faded a bit at the mention of Snape. Neither had forgotten that morning in the hall. _'Anything different about him?'_

She could almost see him shaking his head. _'Still the sneaking, sniveling git he's always been. Well . . . he has seemed a bit more withdrawn than usual. Doesn't try to hex James as much as he used too. It's almost like he's reminding himself there's something worse in store. James swears I'm bleeding cracked though.'_

Jillian sighed again and wrote quickly, _'Nothing's crazy anymore. Did you see the Daily Prophet this morning? Fifteen different raids, all the victims splayed out Mandala style in a circle of their own blood. They're saying it's a new cult within You-Know-Who's supporters; the real fanatical sector, you know.'_

'_Which reminds me . . . Regulus became a Death Eater. Mummy and Daddykins must be oh so proud.'_

'_Don't sound so bitter, Sirius.'_

'_Bitter? Bitter about what? Who wants to be family with a bunch of pureblood separatists? I don't.'_

'_I was just teasing.'_

'_Well, I was ruddy serious.'_

"Jillian what are you smiling about?" Carly asked so suddenly that Jillian jumped, the 'D' she was forming, jerking sharply upward. "You don't have anything written yet."

She shrugged, "Um, just thought of something funny, that's all."

"Uh-ah."

Sighing, Jillian turned back to the parchment. _'Look, Sirius, I've got to go. Carly's gonna start jumping down my throat if I don't start this animagus paper for McGonagall.'_

'_I'm sure that will only take you two minutes to finish. Need I remind you, you spent most of your Christmas holiday with one; just keep talking. What were you saying?'_

Shaking her head, Jillian scratched, rather sloppily, _'Bye, Sirius.'_

'_Bu - '_

With another reluctant sigh, Jillian swiped the plume of the quill up the page, erasing their conversation.

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The next morning at breakfast, Toby was looking rather anxious. She hadn't touched her oatmeal and blueberries, and in her haste to cool it she had drowned it in too much milk. When the owl post finally arrived, she nearly choked on her pumpkin juice.

Jillian rapidly pounded her on the back, "Bugger, Toby, what's gotten into you?"

Toby rose slightly in her seat, craning for a better look at the Gryffindor table, "Did it come? Ahhh . . ."

With a maniacal chuckle, she presently sat down and took a bite of a piece of bacon, "Excellent, a Howler. Couldn't have planned it better myself."

Carly's brow suddenly furrowed, "Toby, what did you - "

Before Carly could even finish, a thundering voice tore through the hall, and quite audibly began to scream, "MITRA CHANDRA SUDHA! YOUR PARENTS LET YOU FLAUNT ABOUT WITHOUT A VEIL AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY THEIR LENIENCY? YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF! CONSORTING WITH BOYS IN THAT MANNER BEFORE YOUR MARRIED?! UNEXCEPTABLE! ABSOLUTELY APPALLING!"

"TOBY!" Carly rose abruptly from her seat, looking appalled herself. A torrent of hardly less than flattering terms came out of Carly's mouth, but Mitra's grandmother drowned her out.

"WHAT DECENT MAN WILL TAKE YOU FOR HIS WIFE NOW?! EVEN IF THIS SIRIUS BLACK WERE TO GO ABOUT PROPOSING PROPERLY, YOUR FATHER WOULD NEVER ALLOW HIM! HE HAS BLATANTLY IGNORED THE PROPER RULES OF COURTING . . . YOUR FATHER HAS HAD TO BREAK OFF SEVERAL OF THE ENGAGEMENT TALKS AFTER HE RECEIVED THAT OWL! YOUR MOTHER HAS TAKEN ILL AGAIN; SHE WAS SO STUNNED BY THE NEWS! YOU ARE NOT TO TALK TO OR EVEN SO MUCH AS TOUCH THAT BOY AGAIN!"

A sudden stillness filled the Great Hall as Mitra's Howler finished and tore itself apart. Carly, too had finished her rant, and was seated once more at the Ravenclaw table, albeit breathing heavily and glaring daggers at Toby for one of the foulest retributions in history.

There were muffled sobs coming from the Gryffindor table. Jillian watched guiltily as Mitra ran down the aisle and through the entrance doors of the Great Hall, a buzz of whispers following her out.

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"Toby, you're despicable," Carly snapped vehemently when Toby opened her mouth to say something. "I'd sooner you had turned her into something unpleasant than doing _that_ to the poor girl."

Jillian, Carly, and Toby strode briskly along the corridors amidst the throngs of whispering students. Mitra Sudha's Howler was the news on everyone's mind. People wondered how Grandmother Sudha had even found out about Sirius and Mitra and Rebecca Inkle (Mitra's Gryffindor third-year friend) had quickly laid the blame on Jillian. Unlike the last time she had been the center of the rumor mill, Jillian was acutely aware of the glances and dirty looks people were throwing her as she passed. And to her disgust, some of the Slytherins were acknowledging her for a 'job well done.'

"I didn't even tell you half the stuff she said about Jillian!" Toby exploded, apparently oblivious, or just uncaring, about the eyes following them. "Trust me, she got exactly what she deserved."

"You humiliated her in front of the entire school!"

"Williams!" someone shouted from behind them. James sauntered up at that moment and slung an arm around Toby's shoulders. "So was it you behind that Howler?"

"Yeah, Potter, what's it to you?" Toby asked warily.

"When they said McKee here was the mastermind, I knew that Toby Williams couldn't have been far behind the scenes. Bloody brilliant! And you're not going to get in trouble for it?"

"She can't," Carly said bitterly, shooting Toby another glare, "Mitra's grandmother sent the Howler, Toby can't be blamed for it."

"I think we've got another Marauder on our hands, Hogwarts," James announced grandly to the hall.

"Wicked!" Toby skipped with excitement, then stopped, suddenly realizing she didn't know what a Marauder was. "What's a Marauder?"

"Wicked?" Carly's voice came out strangled, "What's wicked? Humiliating that poor girl?"

"Poor girl?" James snorted, "That poor girl, as you call her, is a strangling little toerag that had Sirius wrapped around her little finger for so long she wouldn't let anyone near him! Not even me."

"No one deserves to be denounced like that. No one," Carly shot back bitterly.

"How's Mitra taking it?" Jillian asked suddenly.

"Erm . . ." James scratched absently at the back of his neck, not looking at her. The look he wasn't giving her spoke mountains in four words: she absolutely hated Jillian.

"Oh lovely," she murmured dryly.

"I didn't think you had it in you, McKee," purred a voice to her left.

Jillian stopped dead in her tracks and turned. Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Black leaned again a pillar, watching her with glowing eyes filled with mixed amusement and hesitant respect. In an instant, Carly and Toby grabbed Jillian's arms to stop her from doing something stupid.

Bellatrix chuckled softly, "You've managed to ruin two lives in one letter, well done."

"I didn't do anything," she spoke every word deliberately through clenched teeth. Her muscles were twitching to grab her wand and hex them both to hell, but Carly had her arm pinned.

"Anything?" Lucius laughed, "Mitra Sudha is whimpering in the second floor lavatory."

Her every limb shook when she realized that they were right for once in their miserable lives. She had as good as done this to Mitra by not stepping in and telling Toby to back off. The fact that for once in their miserable lives they were better than her made Jillian hate them even more. Angrily she shrugged off Carly and Toby's hold and spun on her heel.

"Where are you going, McKee?" Bellatrix's voice cooed, "The greenhouses are that way."

Jillian didn't answer. She just kept walking towards the stairwell to the second floor.

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"Mitra?"

Politely Jillian rapped on the door as she opened it at the same time. She could hear muffle sobs coming from somewhere within the lavatory. The girl's bathroom on the second floor was always an ideal spot to weep your eyes out, because no one ever used it. It was rather difficult to relieve oneself when Moaning Myrtle was moaning about something.

"Mitra?"

"She won't tell me what's wrong," Moaning Myrtle pouted as Jillian paused before the stall where the sobs were loudest, "She just keeps _crying_. Rather unsightly isn't it?"

Jillian decided better than to retort and asked again timidly, "Mitra, are you all right?"

"Who, who is it?" she blubbered.

"Jillian McKee."

There was a stretch of silence, then broken by Mitra screeching, "_YOU!_"

The stall door flung open and Jillian leapt back. Mitra stood bracing herself on either side of the stall door, glowering at Jillian with tears streaming down her face.

_Maybe it was a bad idea to come_, Jillian's mind said hesitantly, taken aback by the savage look on Mitra's face. Merlin, was she in for it.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Jillian continued, "How . . .how are you feeling?"

"How am I feeling?" she echoed, her voice rising with every word. "How am I _feeling_? Humiliated thanks to you. How could you have written my _grandmother_?"

"I didn't write your grandmother. But it is almost every inch my fault as yours." _Oh, wrong thing to say Jillian,_ she told herself, as Mitra's face turned an even darker shade of red.

"My fault? If you weren't such a jealous slut, none of this would have happened!"

Jillian stiffened, being called jealous and a slut were two things she usually wasn't and wouldn't tolerate. Deciding to be civil, she beseeched, "Let me explain - "

But Mitra had had enough of talking. She whipped out her wand and before Jillian could even bring up her wand, Mitra had shouted an incantation.

Jillian's knees cracked painfully and seemingly twisted about themselves. The loss of her balance soon ensued and she fell to the floor, her head connecting with the grate and the world falling into blackness.

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The first thing Jillian became aware of when she came to was a certain throbbing in her legs. The second was voices around her.

"Attacking her when she didn't even pull out her BLOODY wand, I'm going to throttle her - "

"Miss Williams if you cannot control yourself, I will have to ask you to leave," Madame Pomphrey said patiently.

"Sorry, Madame Pomphrey," Toby mumbled.

Jillian felt the nurse prodding her knee, pressing firmly in a circle around her kneecap, much to Jillian's pain and displeasure. A little whimper escaped her lips and Madame Pomphrey looked up to see Jillian balling the pillow in her fists, "Now, now, it's just a bit of swelling. Drink this."

Gratefully Jillian excepted the cup of amber liquid she held out for her and gulped it down, ignoring the vile taste of the potion. For an instant Jillian felt a trickling sensation flood her throbbing knees and the pain eased. "Thank you, that feels better."

Madame Pomphrey nodded, setting the potion and a small shot glass on the bedside table beneath the shadow of two dozen roses, "Every hour on the hour, drink a bit and the swelling will go down."

"Thank you."

James and Remus parted so that the old nurse might get through, but soon filed into her place. Jillian looked around to see Carly and Toby hovering at the foot of the bed beside a large mountain of candy. A redheaded seventh year with amazing green eyes, Lily Evans, sat cross-legged on the bed to Jillian's right, Remus and James flanking her on either side. Peter sat at the head of the bed on her left.

"What . . . what are you doing here?" she asked, looking at each of their smiling and kind faces. She'd thought that everyone hated her after that scandalous debacle in the Great Hall the other day.

Carly grinned, "We are your friends, Jilly."

"But . . . the Howler . . ."

"Miss Perfect, don't worry, you're off the hook," Toby assured, patting her ankle; Jillian yelped.

"TOBY!!!!!!"

"Sorry, I'm sorry," hurriedly she backed away from the bed.

The redhead grinned, "Toby confessed to Mitra's Howler to the entire school, yesterday."

"And I have five days detention with Professor Mortensen for that," she grumbled, snatching up a box of Bernie Botts Every-Flavored Beans and cracking it open.

"Well if you hadn't stood on the house table and busted out singing 'Respect', maybe it would have just been two days," Carly rebuked curtly.

"How else was I supposed to get everyone's attention?"

Shaking her head and smiling, Lily continued, "People felt rather guilty about how they had treated you, so they sent you this."

She motioned to the candy, cards and flowers around them that spanned every flat surface possible. Jillian smiled, but then blinked; she still didn't understand, "I think this potion is messing with my hearing, could someone – very slowly and in one syllable words – tell me exactly what happened, please? After I lost consciousness, if you would."

It was Remus who spoke up, "Moaning Myrtle flooded the pipes so that someone might come and find you. Professor McGonagall did and brought you up to the Hospital Wing, where you've been incapacitated."

"One syllable words, Moony, not six," James corrected. Peter began to count out his hands the syllables in 'incapacitated' to everyone's amusement.

"How long have I been here?" she asked.

Remus, his eyes still twinkling, went on, "Three days. Toby confessed to Mitra's Howler the second day you were here and, I think, a vast majority of the student body felt rather sorry for the way they had judged you, so they sent you tokens of their apology. Mitra, from what I've heard - "

"Still hates me doesn't she?"

"'With the fire of a thousand suns,'" Sirius quoted with a laugh from the door. Seven pairs of eyes turned towards him, and Jillian felt her heart give a feeble flutter; he didn't look angry with her. But then again, that hadn't meant anything in the past.

Jillian's head fell back on her pillow, resigning to the inevitable, "If you're here to kill me, Sirius, could you please wait until I'm out of bed?"

"Who said I was going to kill you?" he asked with a frown, sauntering over and straddling a chair.

"I can explain."

"Too late," Lily and James chorused, then grinned at one another.

Jillian was still gaping at Sirius, as he opened one of her Chocolate Frogs, "Don't you hate me?"

Sirius shook his head, "Nah, I'm quite relieved actually. Enjoying my new found freedom."

"Amen to that, Padfoot," James laughed, awarding him a quelling glance from Lily.

"Besides," he went on, his lips twitching in a smile, "If I remember correctly, it was Madame Sudha that forbid us to ever date again."

"But if I had stopped Toby before she sent that letter - "

"Miss Perfect, I would have sent it anyway. I never really did like Mitra," Toby insisted, then added thoughtfully, "I think it's because she flies too much like a girl . . ."

Jillian's welcoming committee went into fits of laughter, even Sirius to Jillian's confusion. He caught her gaze and smiled. She weakly smiled back.

Remus took his cue; "Perhaps we should leave you to finish the story, Padfoot."

"But - " Toby began but Carly forcefully took up her arm and began to drag her towards the door.

"Come along, Toby, we've got homework to finish."

But - "

Remus and Peter soon left, waving good-bye and wishing her a swift recovery. Lily, who had apparently come along to keep James company, smiled at Jillian before looping her arm through James's.

James clapped Sirius on the shoulder, "Glad to have you back, Padfoot."

"Glad to be back, Prongs," he grinned up at his best friend. James and Lily politely shut the door behind them, leaving Jillian and Sirius alone.

"Why are you here?" Jillian asked at last

"I heard there was free chocolate in the infirmary," he joked, taking a Chocoball from the bedside table and offering it to her. Jillian shook her head. Batted down by the look on her face, Sirius admitted, "I came to see if you were all right."

"Well, I can honestly say I've felt better," she flopped her hands weakly at her sides, motioning to her aching knees.

He smiled, shaking his head, "What were you thinking?"

"To set the record straight," she mumbled, fidgeting with the fold of the blanket.

"I can always tell when you're lying because you fiddle with things," he said, putting his hand over hers. "Seriously, Jillian."

She gnawed on her lower lip thoughtfully, thinking carefully before she answered. He was being earnest, she knew, but she didn't quite have an answer for him. Maybe it was to prove to herself that she was a good person, or to prove to Mitra that she was a good person. Maybe she had hopes of salvaging Sirius's relationship with the girl, and keeping their friendship intact. She really didn't know; it could be any one of those things.

"No one expects you to be a bloody saint, Jilly. Just remember that the next time you decide to do something stupid. Now move over," Sighing, Sirius nudged Jillian over and slipped into the hospital bed with her, keeping the blankets between them. He slung one arm across her stomach, and curled the other under his head.

She eyed him curiously, his face so close to hers, "What are you doing?"

"Getting some sleep," he grumbled, eyes all ready closed. "I'm tired."

She saw the dark shadows under his eyes and realized he did look amazingly exhausted. Gently she pushed a piece of hair out of his face, watching as his features relaxed.

"Bad dreams?" she breathed quietly.

"You have no idea."

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Madame Pomphrey decided to release Jillian that Friday depending on the condition of her knees, which had slowly begun to mend. At her request Carly and Toby brought her work and notes she had missed. Thursday found Jillian working on copying Remus's History of Magic notes and working on her Potions essay at the same time.

"Did you put her up to it?" asked a voice as Jillian finished flourishing the 'F' at the beginning of her paragraph, causing her to jump. The reaction was not at all good for her knees as they banged her lap desk.

Mitra was standing at the foot of her bed, eyeing Jillian with a mix of dislike and amusement. Biting back a gasp of pain, Jillian forced herself to reply evenly, "No. Toby's a big girl, she doesn't need me to tell her what to do."

"Did you ask her to do it?"

"No," she repeated firmly. Once she was certain she could speak without her voice straining, Jillian elaborated, "But it was just as much my fault. I should have put a stop to it - "

"Did you know about the letter?" Mitra demanded coolly, raising a delicate brow.

"No, but - "

"Then there's nothing you could have done," she shrugged, slipping her pack onto the floor and sitting primly in the bedside chair. "Sticks and stones, hun. You've been humiliated and so have I, so we're square. I don't hold it against you."

"Are you all right, though?" Jillian asked after a moment.

Then to her surprise, Mitra flashed her a twisted smile; "I should have known."

"Known what?"

"Sirius doesn't usually fancy malicious bitches. He likes his girls sweet and strong, like you, like me. I shouldn't have believed what Chelsea and they were saying about you. May I?" she indicated a bag of Chocoballs and Jillian nodded mutely, aghast.

"You didn't spread those rumors?"

"No," Mitra shook her head in disdain, "Rebecca's doing. If I had I would have come up with something better."

At this Jillian laughed, a good hard laugh, which Mitra rewarded with a befuddled, amused look. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she panted at last, "Nothing; just something Toby said. Not about you, but about the gossip. It's uncanny how you two think alike."

"Oh," Mitra nodded, popping a chocolate into her mouth.

"May I ask a question?" Jillian asked, digging into the bag. "James . . . James said once that you wouldn't let Sirius out of your sight, not even to talk to him. Why?"

"Well," a slight blush rose on the girl's cheeks, flattering to the warm tones of her skin, "You know how Sirius is. He's just too good to lose. Zoey, she kept saying we were a match made in heaven, that we were meant to be together and it got to my head. I didn't want to lose him, not to anyone. How did you ever handle it?"

"Handle what?"

"Him. The other girls, always staring. It made me so angry, but you never seemed to care."

Jillian shrugged, "I guess it was because we never got serious about one another."

"You seemed serious for one another," Mitra said with a smile.

Jillian merely shrugged again. Then noticed the bag of Chocoballs was half gone, "You fancy Chocoballs as much as you fancy Sirius?"

"Um?" Mitra cocked a questioning brow, her mouth full.

"The bag's half gone."

"Oh, I suppose so," she laughed. Then she glanced at the clock, "I better go, lunch is almost over."

"Thanks for stopping by," Jillian said with a smile, all ready resuming to start her essay once more. Mitra nodded again to her and shouldered her pack before gliding out of the infirmary.

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SIDE NOTE . . .

There, I hope that makes Mitra less of a bitch, but still keeping intact with her character from Chapter 3. Please let me know what you think.

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AN EXTRA DISCLAIMER . . .

Ha-ha! The Pirates of the Caribbean reference I have hinted at has come about! :)

Anyway, the line's tweaked a bit, but when Mitra says, "Sticks and stones, hun. You've been humiliated and so have I, so we're square," is originated (albeit roughly) from when Jack says, "Sticks and stones, love. You've saved my life; I've saved yours, so we're square."

It's at the beginning when he's just saved Elizabeth from drowning, been arrested, and used her to escape. Remember? Originally, I wasn't going to have a POTC reference (sorry, Moon Burst!), but I had to slip one in somewhere because its such a great movie.

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THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS! YOU ALL MEAN THE WORLD TO ME!

Moon Burst – Thank you so much for giving me your livejournal link so I could read what you've written. I know you're looking for constructive criticism, but I couldn't find anything that needed fixin', because like I said in my comment, I absolutely LOVED that chapter! Update soon, will ya please? Please, please, please, please with cherries, and whipped cream, and chocolate syrup on top?

Nicky Black – Okay, so do you see now why Sirius was with Mitra? She didn't spread the rumors, is indeed sort of a cool person though certainly not Jillian's friend, and was giving Sirius a little bit of ass on the side. However, if that doesn't satisfy, I'd like to say that eventually Sirius would have broken up with her, because this relationship is based on one I've seen (not first-hand however. I have NEVER had a boyfriend).

YAY! I'm so glad we'll finally get to meet her mum and get to know more about your character. It really is a good story.

kat-firefly – I hope you enjoyed your holiday and welcome back. :)

Kirie Himuro – All will be answered in the next chapter. You'll probably be able to put two and two together after you read it. ;)


	9. Dreams and Arrangements

CHAPTER 9 – Dreams and Arrangements

By Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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N.E.W.Ts came the first week of May. The teachers had been preparing the seventh-years since the end of the Christmas holiday in preparation for these Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests. Similar to O.W.Ls, the tests were given two a day for a week until all subjects were covered. The week after, Toby, Carly, and Jillian were enjoying cruising through their classes before finals in June.

Sirius and Jillian had decided to keep up the pretenses that Mitra had set to avoid another cycle of vicious and debilitating rumors, even though it seemed that Mitra and her clique's rumor mill had been torched after the Howler. Still the two waved greeting to one another in the halls, and spent their evenings writing back and forth with Sirius's two-way parchment. It was this way that Jillian found out about the Alder Cauldrons tour that summer.

'_I'd kill to have tickets,'_ Sirius had written dreamily. _'Alder Cauldrons, Smashing Pumpkins, and Vampire's Kiss all playing on the same stage, I'd be in heaven.'_

'_Smashing Pumpkins is a Muggle band isn't it?'_

'_Don't know, there might be a Muggle band with the same name. All I know is that they rock harder than any other band I know. It would be one bloody fun concert.'_

Sirius's addiction to Alder Cauldron's was contagious; she had borrowed his album at least fifty times since first listening to it. The conversation had given Jillian an idea, an idea that had cost her budget for the next two months. Much to her relief, her idea had become a reality the week after N.E.W.Ts had finished.

As Jillian opened her mouth to take another bite of biscuits and gravy, the owl post arrived. She watched carefully as owls swooped over the Gryffindor table, dropping letters and newspapers to students. A large sleek black owl flew past Sirius and James, dropping something by Sirius's hand.

Jillian smiled and returned to her breakfast.

"What did you get, Padfoot?" James asked nodding to the starry blue envelope with his name written in gold letters.

"Dunno," he frowned, swallowing a bite of his sausage.

"Well open it," Wormtail said excitedly. It would figure the simple appearance of a letter would stimulate the twitchy boy.

Still frowning, Sirius slit open the envelope and a pair of tickets fell onto the table. His heart racing, Sirius picked them up. Rookwood Amphitheater, Stratford-Upon-Avon, July 22nd, Row E, Alder Cauldrons, Vampire's Kiss . . . He let out a whoop and quickly picked up the second letter the owl had dropped, this one written on simple school parchment.

_Dear Sirius,_

_I hope this is what you were looking for. Carly's dad works for the WWN, so he pulled a couple of strings for me. _

_Enjoy the concert,_

_Jillian_

"Padfoot?" James was glancing at him concernedly.

"She got us tickets, Prongs," Sirius's eyes practically glowed, flourishing the slips of paper. "Second row, center stage."

"Sod off!" James snatched them up and stared down at them.

"Tickets to what?" Remus asked, glancing around the fruit bowl.

"Only to see the concert event of the millennium," Sirius beamed. When Remus raised an inquisitive brow, he elaborated, "Alder Cauldrons, Smashing Pumpkins and Vampire's Kiss are touring this summer. Jillian was able to pull a miracle and got tickets."

"That's nice."

James and Sirius's jaws dropped, "Nice? _Nice_, Moony? Alder Cauldron _never_ tours. Vampire's Kiss hasn't toured together for three years, and it's just _nice_?"

"I guess you liked those tickets then, huh, Black?" asked a voice from behind them.

James and Sirius turned in their seats and Remus and Peter merely looked up to see Jillian standing there, her pack on her shoulder.

"I could kiss you right now, McKee," Sirius told her.

At that moment the bell clanged the beginning of classes and Jillian laughed, "Maybe later."

"And I don't think either of them would have really minded," James confided out of the corner of his mouth to Remus.

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Jillian was clearing away the remnants of her Truth Serum ingredients, pleased with the result. Professor Mortensen had insisted that his students review making their potions, particularly the ones they had scored poorly on, and for Jillian that had been her Truth Serum.

This time she had ignored Severus Snape as he made snide remarks about her parentage and other less desirable qualities and had made a decent potion. Quite pleased with her work for the day, Jillian scooped up the unused bit of leeks and made her way to the wastebasket in the front of the class. As she turned back to return to her seat, Lucius rudely shouldered past, stuffing something into her hand.

"Apparently you still haven't learned what manners are, Malfoy, or that unsightly thing you call your face might have gone away," she quipped.

"Sod off, Muggle-born," Lucius snapped, before returning to his seat. Jillian shrugged before returning to Toby, who was stifling laughter into her arm. Carly had her lips firmly pressed together as she determinedly tried not to smile.

"Miss McKee," Professor Mortensen growled dangerously, "For your tongue, five points from Ravenclaw."

"Sorry, professor."

"At least you're getting better," Toby muttered. "I remember our first year you couldn't put together a retort if your life depended on it."

Jillian nodded absently, unfolding the parchment he had handed her. A simple line was scrawled across it.

_We have business to finish. Meet me at the top of the stairs after class._

She scanned the class for Lucius; he sat reclined in the back of the class with two other Slytherins, watching her. She nodded to him, and he dipped his head cordially in understanding.

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"What do you want, Lucius?" she hissed, ten minutes later as they stood hidden in the shadow of an alcove.

He seemed apparently unscathed by her tone as he leaned against the wall, studying his fingernails. "In December you said we would finish our . . . debate, later."

She eyed him warily, "Yeah?"

"Well, here it is May and I am still standing as are you, so apparently our business isn't finished, is it?"

"I've been busy," she said through clenched teeth, glancing quickly out onto the hall to see if they were attracting any attention. No one seemed to care. "I've been on a rather tight watch since Christmas."

"So I've noticed," he remarked dryly, "Black welcome you back into his flock, did he?"

"Last time I checked, no."

"Pity. I'd hate to die a virgin."

Jillian resisted the strong urge to slap that cocky smirk off his face; "Your point?"

"We let a duel settle our differences. No seconds, just us."

"When?"

"Next Friday, five o'clock. At a place of my choosing."

"Why of your choosing?" she asked, glancing out at the hall again. There were few students about and she was very much likely going to be late for her next class.

"Because, McKee, I know of a place where we will not be interrupted, simple as that. Do we have an accord?" he offered her his hand.

She slid her hand into his, her eyes never leaving his, "We have an accord."

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Sirius dreamed again that night.

_He and Jillian, wearing the silk gown she had worn only once before for him, stood amongst a throng of people, Alder Cauldrons jamming on the stage before them. Music swirled around them; the pounding of the bass shook the floor. The heavy air pressed in on all sides, baking the crowd in a sauna of sweat and body heat. He didn't care, Alder Cauldrons was playing for them in the flesh and Jillian was at his side, safe and jiving to the rhythm as she did so often in Connections._

_But where was she?_

_Sirius looked over to see Jillian drifting away through the people, her hands above her head as she moved. There was a look of frustration on her face as she tried to push back towards him, but she was caught._

_He dove through the crowds, calling her name. He had to get her out of there. Mosh pits were dangerous. If she was pulled under she might be trampled to death. He had to pull her out._

_Her screams tore through the music, cutting off the chorus of "Pressure". He could see her being pulled down into the pit, the faces of the teenagers changing, morphing into white masks with slits for nose and eyes. Gray robes billowed, pushing him away._

_No, no not this again._

_He had to wake up, but he was hypnotized as the Death Eaters circled around her, blocking off any means of escape. He watched helplessly as they performed the Cruciatus Curse, twisting her body into odd angles, kicking her with feet and fists like iron. One prodded her with a glowing white-hot beam from his wand._

_She screamed and screamed and screamed . . ._

_Then with a flash of green light all was silent. The Death Eaters vanished in a whirl of fog, leaving her alone and motionless in the center of the floor._

"Jillian!"

"Sirius! Wake up! Sirius!"

James's voice . . . Someone was shaking him, but all he could see was her body. She was alive, Merlin she had to be alive . . .

"JILLIAN!" Ugly scorch marks on her face . . . Bruises swelling around her neck . . .

"Sirius!"

"Sirius snap out of it, it's just a dream!"

Sirius gasped for breath as he opened his eyes. James, Remus and Wormtail hovered over him, all with looks of concern on their faces. He rolled over to the night table, and was able to brace himself over the washbasin just before vomiting up his stomach's contents.

James put a comforting hand on his damp back as he hacked up the last of the bile in his throat, his shoulders shuddering as he panted.

"Padfoot . . ." James let his voice trail off. "You're soaked."

Remus told him quietly, "Sirius, you need to calm down."

"Merlin!" he choked out, before collapsing back onto his pillow. "I . . .I saw her die. I saw her . . ."

"Wormtail, where's the Map?" James asked. "Sirius, relax. Just relax, I'm sure Jillian's still asleep. Here, see for yourself."

He showed Sirius the map, pointing to the Ravenclaw Tower and the dormitory where Jillian's mark lay still. Sirius closed his eyes, fighting back tears of relief. She was alive. Safe and alive.

"I take it this wasn't the Snivellus dream?" Remus asked quietly, deadly serious.

Sirius sat up in bed, bracing his elbows on his knees, "I've been having the same dream for months. Except . . .except this is the first time she's ever stopped screaming."

"Maybe you should explain from the beginning," James suggested, handing Sirius a glass of water, which he accepted gratefully.

And so he did. Telling in detail everything he could ever remember about that horrible nightmare and the ones before it. He explained how each one was different in its own way: the torture and what she wore, that too was always different. After he had finished, there was a long moment of silence. Sirius didn't dare look at them, afraid of what they might say.

"Have you told Jillian about this?" Remus breathed, his voice hushed in astoundment.

"No! She'd think I was bleeding cracked," Sirius raked his fingers through his hair. That was the last thing he needed: someone thinking he was a few birds short of a real coo-coo's nest.

"Or in love with her."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Peter, making him twitch uncomfortably under their stares.

"What did you say?" Sirius breathed, not quite sure whether to toss a pillow at the rat or hex him for the mention of it.

"Not-not-not-thin-thin-thing," he stammered.

"You said I was in love, Wormtail."

"Come off it. Padfoot? In love?" James joked lightly, darting a look at Sirius. Peter giggled nervously, rather glad James had jumped in to save his skin. The look on Sirius's face was partially murderous, partially offset.

"Perhaps you should tell her, Padfoot," Remus said at last, crawling back into bed, "Maybe hearing her say she won't go hunting Death Eaters will make you feel better."

"But - "

"Tell her, Padfoot. You need to get some sleep, as do the rest of us," James agreed, clicking off the light.

Sirius lay awake for the longest time in bed, afraid to go to sleep and see Jillian lying there alone. He didn't love Jillian in that way. His concern for her was nothing but friendly. That was all they were, just friends . . . but as he laid there in bed pondering what Wormtail had said, there were things that only she could do for him.

James or Remus or Peter couldn't make his senses buzz with the slightest touch. None of his friends looked like angels when they were sleeping. None of them had the sense of when something was bothering him.

No. He couldn't be in love. He couldn't be in love with her. She was just his friend.

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Jillian couldn't concentrate on her Potions essay. Her mind kept wandering, she kept thinking about that one Alder Cauldron's song she'd been humming in Charms, kept wondering what Sirius was doing.

"Let's talk to him, hey Chocoball?" she asked the cat, who sat cleaning himself on her trunk. He only glanced up at her, before returning to a particularly stubborn spot on his leg.

Smiling, Jillian pulled out the two-way parchment, ink and quill. The paper was blank. She dipped the quill tip in the ink and wrote, _'Hey, Sirius? Sirius, are you there?'_

She glanced at the clock; it was ten after six, he would be in the Gryffindor common room, doing his homework, or whatever he did before they'd pen. This was odd. He'd never hesitated to answer her.

Again she tried, _'Sirius?'_

Just as she was about to swipe the page clean, words began to form on the page, words in Sirius's hand.

'_Jilly? Are you still there?'_

Jillian's heart leapt back into its position in her chest. Quickly she scrawled, _'Yeah. Are you all right? You seem a little out of it.'_

'_I've been having some trouble sleeping.'_

'_Bad dreams still?'_

'_How do you know this stuff?'_

Jillian smiled. _'I just know you, Sirius. Would you care to tell me about it?'_

She half expected him to say something witty, something to say the subject was closed, but there was a long space before he wrote again. It was almost as if he strongly was considering her question seriously. Then he wrote something she hadn't expected.

'_Will you promise me something, Jilly?'_

Frowning, she hesitantly penned, _'Promise you something? Like what?'_

'_Promise me that you won't do anything stupid.'_

At this she laughed at loud. The last person she would have expected to ask her if she was going to do anything stupid would have been Sirius.

Still chuckling, she wrote, _'You're going to have to be a bit more specific than that, Sirius Black. I mean, do something stupid like fail my finals? Fat chance of that happening. Or . . . do something stupid like go wading in the lake . . .'_

'_Like chasing after Death Eaters.'_

The smile on her face fell. Did he know about her duel with Lucius? But how could he, she hadn't even told Toby or Carly about next Friday.

'_Jillian? Will you promise me that you won't go gallivanting off after Regulus and his lot? Please, for my sake.'_

She hesitated. He sounded so earnest, so desperate. Was that the reason he wasn't sleeping? After another moment, she sighed, _'You know me, Sirius. I won't do anything that stupid unless you're around.'_

She could almost hear him laughing. _'Thanks, Jillian.'_

'_No problem.'_


	10. Broken Promises

CHAPTER 10 – Broken Promises

By Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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Friday the thirtieth came sooner than Jillian had anticipated and she was growing impatient for six o' clock. She practically inhaled her breakfast, which had consisted of a peach and a nibble of sausage. Her classes, in particularly History of Magic, seemed so much longer than they ever had before, and lunch was equally as rapid and as small as breakfast.

Once dinner had came and passed, Jillian ran up the stairs to the Ravenclaw tower and hurried up to the dormitory. She slipped into her most comfortable pair of sweats and a black muscle tank. She wanted to be comfortable when she was dueling with Malfoy, and free to move around. Her strategy was to have him in circles until he was dizzy then switch direction and disarm him. She'd practiced her most basic spells since their agreement, making them part of her reflex, and adding a couple of the more complex ones as well. She had never felt more prepared.

As the great tower clock rang six times, Jillian slowed to a halt in the Entrance Hall where she had agreed to meet Lucius two days prior. He lounged casually in the shadows by a suit of armor. When Jillian came into his line of sight, he unfolded himself from the wall and sauntered over to her.

He didn't speak to her, didn't acknowledge her. He merely walked past and down the hall towards the Great Hall. Jillian trotted to catch up with him.

"Where are we going?" she asked at last.

"You'll see."

"No Dark Arts," she snapped curtly. "No Unforgivables."

He feigned hurt, "What makes you think I would use such contrivances?"

"I don't trust you."

"Think what you like," Lucius shrugged, leaning his shoulder against the door to an antechamber just outside the Great Hall. Jillian remembered standing outside this door her first year, waiting nervously for the Sorting and what House she was to be put in.

The door unlatched and Lucius swung it wide and bowed grandly to Jillian, indicating she was to go first. Jillian stepped across the threshold into the dark antechamber. It was rather dingier than she remembered it, but the room had not been used for a whole year so perhaps that explained some of the dust on its moldings and the broken stool in the center of the room. It was also rather small.

"This is the place of your choice?" she asked in disdain as he closed the door behind him.

"No," he grabbed her wrist and forced her to stoop, pressing her hand to the stool. "This is."

Suddenly there was a tug behind Jillian's navel and she was pulled into a whirl of color, feeling quite sick to her stomach. When she felt that she could take no more and would scream, the Portkey had reached its destination. She fell to a wooden floor and tumbled.

She wasn't alone.

In the growing dark she could see the shadows of a ring of towering figures. One stepped out from among them, his wand leveled at her. As her eyes adjusted to the dim, she saw the glitter of a white slitted mask, and gray robes. Death Eaters. She'd walked right into a trap.

"_Avada Kedavra_."

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Sirius sat in the Gryffindor common room with his homework spread before him. Most of it was a review he could do before the exams to keep his mind fresh and that was exactly what he intended to do. The truth was he was bored and homework at the moment was his only means of distraction. He laughed softly at the thought; to think that Sirius Black had finally had to resort to homework as a means of amusement. Maybe James wanted to go out and wander the corridors . . .

Or maybe he could just talk to Jillian. He raked his fingers through his hair, scolding himself for his own stupidity. Wasn't that the reason she had given her that magicked parchment in the first place? Faking a yawn and a stretch, he pushed his History of Magic review aside to uncover the two-way parchment.

He picked up the scarlet quill and ink that Jillian had given along with it and scrawled, _'Jilly?'_

He waited a moment for her calligraphic letters to form, but there was no answer. Again he tried.

'_Jillian?'_

'_Jillian McKee are you there?'_

Nothing.

Something was wrong. She was usually doing her homework at this time, waiting for him to distract her. Frowning he pulled out a bit of blank parchment and put his wand to it, muttering, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

The Marauder's Map came alive with activity. A map of Hogwarts revealed itself, showing all the movements of the residents of the school, the students, the ghosts, the teachers, and Filch, a particularly useful dot to keep track of when one was up to no good. But he really wasn't concerned with Filch at the moment; his eyes flicked to the Ravenclaw Tower. Suddenly his brow furrowed.

She wasn't in her dormitory.

Sirius picked up the Map and scanned it. The mark labeled Jillian McKee was trotting down to the Entrance Hall, straight towards Lucius Malfoy. Then, to his amazement, the two marks turned back along the corridor, together, and traveled towards the Great Hall. They ducked into an antechamber, the one Sirius remembered first years entered before the Sorting, and paused. A knot of dread was climbing up his throat.

She wouldn't do this to him. She'd promised.

The simple word 'Portus' appeared on the map above Jillian and Lucius just before they vanished.

"JAMES!"

James looked up from the book in his lap and only needed to take one glance at Sirius's face to know something was wrong. He was on his feet in an instant, wand out. Sirius jerked his head towards the portrait hole and the two took off crashing out of the common room and down the stairs.

"Padfoot - "

"She's gone," he snapped absently his eyes on the map, and then hastily explained what the Map had shown him and the conversation that he and Jillian had heard over the Christmas holiday. Things were clicking into place, things that had seemed so strange before. Severus's restraint, Regulus scattering bits of junk in places only students went . . . it was falling into place, the puzzle coming together.

"We need to find another one of those Portkeys," Sirius finished, handing the map to James. "Before it's too late."

"Down this way," James said suddenly, looking up from the map, "Second floor corridor."

Swiftly they banked into the second floor corridor, heading straight towards Severus Snape.

"Oy, Snivelly!" James called jovially.

Snape turned abruptly on his heel, his greasy hair falling across his nose. Swiftly he pivoted back and began to run down the corridor.

"Oh no you don't," James pointed his wand at Snape's retreating back and jerked it sharply towards the wall. Snape flew back along the corridor a short distance and crashed against the wall. In an instant, Sirius and James had cornered him, James resting his wand point on Severus's collar bone.

"Where do you think your heading, Snivellus?" James asked smoothly, "We just want to have a little chat."

Sirius put a restraining hand on Snape's shoulder as he moved to escape, holding him firm against the wall. For good measure, he brought up his own wand. Snape glared daggers at James, his nostrils twitching.

"What do you want, Potter?"

"Where are the other Portkeys?" Sirius demanded, his grip on Snape's shoulder tightening.

Snape's eyes suddenly lit, glowing with a sort of triumph, "Your little Mudblood friend gone missing, Black?"

"DON'T CALL HER THAT!" he roared.

Fury and frustration boiled him, and his hand released Snape's shoulder to clamp around his neck tightly enough to make him gasp for air. James took a step back, deciding to let Sirius take over the interrogation. He'd never seen the murder in his eyes light up like that before.

He tightened his grasp, glaring into Snape's dark eyes, "What's Voldemort planning?"

The corner of Snape's eye twitched at the mention of the name. He lifted his head slightly to glare down his hooked nose at Sirius; "You are too lowly to speak his name."

"What's he planning?" he hissed, shoving Snape harder against the wall.

Snape gagged as Sirius's grip on his neck closing another centimeter around his windpipe. "The Dark Lord has a score to settle with the Headmaster. Dumbledore has gotten too comfortable in his own domain."

"What? Death count not high enough in London so he has to murder students now?" James retorted darkly.

"Where did Malfoy take her?" Sirius growled.

Snape sneered, "She'll be dead before you can reach her, Black. The next time you see Jillian McKee, it will be in a casket."

"Where is she?" he snarled, bringing his wand into view for good measure.

The appearance of the wand made Snape visibly pale, but he spat quietly in a deadly soft voice, "Why should I tell you?"

"Because I'll rip you limb from limb starting with your fingers and ending with your sniveling nose." And to make good on his promise, Sirius rested his wand on the base of Snape's fingers and began to count, "I'll give you 'til the count of five. One . . ."

"Brighton Pier," Snape gasped as Sirius began to dig his wand into his finger, prepared to use a Severing Charm. "The . . . the house of mirrors."

"Now we're getting somewhere, Prongs," Sirius laughed mirthlessly over his shoulder. "Now, where are the Portkeys?"

Snape hesitated.

"Two . . ."

"Everywhere."

"Three . . ."

"By that statue!" he croaked when Sirius tightened his hold on his windpipe once more. He nodded to the statue of a female scholar, then glared defiantly at Sirius, "I put it there myself."

Angrily, Sirius gave Snape a final shove against the wall, and strode over to the statue. Hidden in the crevice where the base met the cascade of the scholar's robes was a Gobstone, only large enough to fit in the palm of Sirius's hand. He picked it up and felt that familiar sensation of a hook dragging behind his navel.

"NO!" James's eyes widened with realization as he realized that Sirius wasn't waiting for him. Before he could even latch on, he had gone. Tears of fury burned his eyes as he gently hit his forehead against the statue, "Sirius, you idiot."

Snape's wheezing behind him made James turn. He leaned heavily against the wall for support, rubbing his throat. A red mark was glowing where Sirius had nearly strangled him.

"Where are the others?" he snapped, eyes flaring. He wasn't going to let Sirius die, not without him.

"It's too late, Potter," he said quietly, "The other Portkeys are useless now." Severus chuckled darkly, though it looked as if it pained him, "And I'd always hoped it be you to find one."

James raised his wand and hit Severus with an Insect Jinx.

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THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF MY REVIEWERS!

Nicky Black – Of course Jillian is going to duel Lucius, it makes for a more interesting plot. :) Thank you, though, so much for telling me that you were going on vacation. I hope you enjoy it (wherever it might be) and are able to write a couple more chapters for Black Rose!

Moon Burst – How about I give you a cookie, a Subway sandwich, a box of Bernie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans, AND a life-size replica of Sirius? There may be a couple of drool marks on the cut-out so I apologize ;). But don't worry, you're still special! I'm so glad you liked Chapter 8, it's my second favorite in this story (the first is Chapter 6).

Whimsical Firefly – I was wondering where you had disappeared to! I thought you'd lost interest in the story after Chapter 4, but to answer your question, I posted Chapters 6, 7, and 8 a while back, around August 7 I think. But welcome back, and thank you once again for helping me avoid a horrendous cliche in making Mitra a total bitch. It's all for you!

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TO KIRIE HIMURO . . .

I'm SOOOOOOOO sorry for my last review of your story. My dad walked in right at that moment and I panicked and wrote that really, short abrupt and completely random review. I loved that chapter (like all the others :)) and I have only one question . . . Who was Snape writing too, or Sirius, or Jessamyn? I'm so wrought with curiosity and once again apologize for such a short review.

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HUMMM . . . SHOULD I LEAVE YOU WITH THIS HORRENDOUS CLIFFIE OR CONTINUE?

No, I'm not that mean, go ahead and read the next chapter! :)


	11. House of Horrors

CHAPTER 11 – House of Horrors

By Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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Jillian rolled.

The jet of green light flashed as it hit the spot where she had once been, scorching the wood floor. Jillian got to her feet and stumbled to the center of the circle, looking about frantically for an exit of escape. But there was none. They stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking the only means of escape: an open doorway leading out into the murky shadows of what appeared to be a maze. The barred gate behind her would take too long to deal with.

Laughter echoed around her. Cruel, villainous laughter.

"Oh, the little girl dances," cooed one, a woman's voice, "Now lets see if she can sing. _Crucio._"

The spell hit Jillian from behind, throwing her to the floor. Pain as she had never known it filled her body. Her limbs twisted against her will, the tendons trilling from the strain. Her blood bubbled in her veins, then grew cold as ice, her heart racing and stopping in turns. Her nerves were burning, tearing and screaming for release.

She screamed as she writhed on the ground, trying to console her body against the pain. Even when the spell lifted, Jillian still screamed, gasping for air to console her aches.

Again they were laughing. Laughing at her agony.

Another faceless one stepped forward, wand pointed at her crumpled form.

This time Jillian reacted. She brought up her wand, in a sharp jerk, forcing her will behind the spell, concentrating on only throwing him away from her. Throwing them all back, hard against the walls. Dust fluttered down from the ceiling as they flew back against the walls, shaking the whole room. Her path was clear.

Scrambling to her feet, Jillian ran.She bolted through the open doorway, turning sharply into the shadows. She collided with the wall and stumbled back from the impact, her sore shoulder howling. A dead-end. Her heart caught in her throat, pounding irregularly fast. She had to get out.

To her left and right a large clown face, their paint fading, loomed mouths looming open and dark like ominous infinitive tunnels. She had no choice. Stifling a sob, she ran for the left opening and fell to her knees as her foot caught on a step she has missed. Her ankle woke from its numb throbbing to simmer painfully in reminder that she was not yet healed, but she had to keep moving. Even though the rubber padding beneath her slopped upward, she had to keep moving, had to hide, had to escape them.

It was like she was two again and playing in the fast food playpen, playing a pretend game of storm the castle, running, laughing from make-believe enemies, kicking them down every time and triumphing.

But this wasn't the playpen. This was real. From this she may not live, she would not live.

Behind her, Jillian could hear the Death Eaters coming too. No time to worry, just run. She scrambled blindly up the slope of the tunnel; well aware of what it was for the sides were pitched.

"Find her!" barked one.

She tried to stifle her breathing, taking small short breaths as she climbed up. She dug her nails into the fleshy padding of the floor, using her toes to push her up with all speed. She wasn't going fast enough. She reached out with her hand and grasped the edge of the tunnel. She had reached the end of it, but the prospect only made her dread grow.

There was a pounding of feet that stopped below her, somewhere far below her. How far had she climbed? Jillian pressed herself flat to the floor, lying her cheek against the rubber, willing her heart to still, willing her breathing to stop its blustery gasps.

_Let them go away. Just let them go away._

"Rudolphus, Malfoy, Quiltz the left fork," snapped the Killer, her almost murderer. "Mab, Rabastan the right fork with me."

"Do you want to play little girl?" came the woman's voice again, echoing eerily up the tunnel. "Then let's play!"

Jillian bit back a startled cry as the tunnel came alive with light and movement, rolling in circles. Rudolphus and his fellows must have also been taken by surprise for there was a collection of curses below her. Jillian did not look to see how far below they were, but pulled herself out of the tunnel and rolled onto a floor, also padded in the worn rubber Styrofoam. Carousel music began to play over the speakers, skipping and scratching.

The floor of this room was nothing but padded squares of different colors. Lights from a chandelier high above swirled and blinked as the chandelier twisted and untwisted itself.

A little rhyme suddenly crackled, "Step on the cracks and fall and break your back. Step on the red and soon you'll be dead."

_Oh, that's just lovely. _

The thought was a sudden one, cutting like a knife through the smog and panic that had clouded her brain. But she didn't have time to think, she had to move, had to rely on her adrenaline to save her and give her strength. Her mind was a last resort.

Jillian took the eerie voices warning seriously for to her right a red square dropped open with a wicked laugh echoing up from it as a sudden jet of air streamed up. Her heart almost came out of her mouth, strangling a cry of fright. She moved swiftly, jumping from blue square to green square to orange.

"This way! She's up this way!"

She spun on her heel to see Rudolphus and Malfoy scrambling out of the tunnel, tripping over their feet. As they raised their wands, Jillian brought her own up, "_Silencio_!"

The spell hit them both, but Jillian did not wait to see what the other Death Eater intended to do. She took a step forward, not realizing what color the square was until she heard the crazed laughter.

The floor gave out beneath her.

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Sirius fell to the cement floor with a thud, his shoulder chaffing against the grain of the stone. He rolled onto his feet, wand out, waiting for a Death Eater to come at him, but the room was empty. A few Death Eaters were slumped against the wall, unconscious.

Oh God, she may yet be alive.

Though the thought had meant to comfort him, it only filled Sirius with more dread. She could be anywhere within this fun house. She could be anywhere in the infamous maze, trapped and he may not be able to find her before it was too late. More than anything, Sirius suddenly wished he had waited for James.

All ready breathing heavy, he trotted cautiously forward, stopping before the looming black wall, a tunnel to either side of him. Which one? The left slopped up, the right was a short tunnel into a dark room. She could be anywhere.

He could hear shouts, but from where? The scratching carousel was distorting everything; the blinking lights and maniacal cackles were throwing sounds.

Helplessness boiled in Sirius's veins. Too many choices – too many wrong choices – could cost him everything. It could cost him Jillian.

Shaking his head, he turned into a tunnel on the right, one with swirling red and white stripes. Sirius stumbled through it and into the first puzzle of the fun house.

The room was a circular one, the floor striped in black and white tiles. The walls were paneled in mirrors, but as Sirius watched them, he saw gaps in the mirrors, doorways to the next stage. The room moved clockwise before stopping and a voice saying, 'Oops, wrong way' and changing direction.

Which one?

He threw his shoulder against a mirror, rattling it. The doors appeared again for a split second before vanishing once more. He ran to one and pounded his fist against it, losing his patience. He didn't have time for this cat and mouse shit.

Taking a step back, he pointed at the moving mirrors where a door seemed to always appear. "_Reducto_."

In a cloud of seven years of dust, the mirrors blasted apart, revealing a large gaping hole. Sirius walked through as the walls continued to move, straight into a solid object. A trick wall, one that appeared like a long corridor of mirrors and yellow lights but in fact was a simple glass wall.

Sirius turned on his heel and looked down the long passage, the real one, lined with mirrors on either side. Some of the mirrors were standard flat ones; others were twisted and demented, contorting him into odd shapes. Strange shapes and colors . . . The eerie carousel music played faintly in the background, skipping and scratchy from years of disuse.

It was his dream.

Fear whelmed in him. Real fear, not the dream fear that always accompanied those images. Sirius took off at a sprint, swiftly overtaking the corner and letting his memory move him through the maze.

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Jillian slammed into another mirror as she reached another dead end.

_No. No, no, no . . ._

She spun, her heart pounding rapidly. She had to go back, retrace her steps, but not with them behind her. She was trapped. Choking back a sob, she ran back the way she had come, past twisted shapes, past reflections of herself. Left turn . . . right . . . right . . . crossroads which way? A le – no, another right . . .left . . .

Another dead-end.

"This way!"

"Take a left, Rabastan!"

"_WHERE_?"

Confusion had become her savior. They were lost in this maze same as she was, but her confusion had trapped her in this room with them.

"Enough of this . . ._REDUCTO_!"

Mirrors shattered somewhere, glass tinkling on the cement floor. Jillian let out a sob before running once more. Right . . . left . . . right . . . right . . .

Dead-end.

"Jillian!"

No, she was imagining things. That wasn't Sirius. It was her mind playing tricks on her. Sirius was at Hogwarts, safe. Why hadn't she listened to him?

"_REDUCTO_!"

An explosion erupted several yards in front of her. Jillian screamed, flinging her arms over her head to protect her face from the shards of flying mirror. Shards and slivers pattered on her shoulders like rain, nicking her skin like tiny razor cuts. She raised her head as she heard guttural chuckling in front of her. The Killer stood before her, legs spread wide, blocking off all means of her escape.

_Oh God no._

He drew off his mask to reveal a sweat stained ruddy face, flabby with age. Pockmarks marred his complexion. He chuckled again, flashing yellow teeth in a triumphant grin.

"Gave us a run, did you, little girl?"

She gave him no answer. She merely edged closer to the mirror, trying to bury herself in the corner. It was vain, hopeless; her quivering was proof enough her body had accepted it.

It was said to be a painless death . . .

The Killer raised his wand.

"_REDUCTO_!"

Jillian shrieked again as the mirrors to her left shattered. Glass shards and slivers of the silver mirror exploded so forcefully that even when the man brought up his arms to shield himself it was no use. He flew back against the mirror walls, cut and stabbed by a thousand bits and pieces.

He didn't even have time to scream before he fell to the floor bleeding and dead.

"SIRIUS!" she stumbled to her feet, shards of glass and dust falling from her shoulders.

"Jillian!" Sirius stepped through the blasted hole in the mirrors and gathered her against him.

From his pocket he produced a Gobstone, large enough to hold palm to palm. Swiftly he took her hand. Jillian felt the Portkey drag on her navel before the hall of mirrors disappeared.

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They fell to the grassy yard as the Portkey dropped them presently on the school lawn. Jillian rolled a few feet away, letting the cool blades touch her, embrace her stinging and tingling skin. Tiny cuts ran up and down her arms from the splinters of glass and bruises were forming on her shoulders where she had hit the edge of the square before falling into the mirror maze.

She let the tears come, weeping with relief. She was alive. Her hands curled into fists around a handful of grass enjoying it as it tickled her palm.

"Jillian . . ." Sirius's breath tingled her cheek as he whispered her name.

"You came for me . . . You're alive . . . "her voice shook from the traumatized state her nerves were in.

"I would die for you." His palm rested against her cheek, his hands tenderly embracing her face, before his lips met hers in a passionate kiss.

Jillian cupped his face in her hands, not wanting to lose him again, not wanting him to ever stop kissing her again. She ran her hands over his face, through his hair, her fingers knotting comfortably in his mane of black hair

Sirius's hands trailed over her being; he wanted to make certain she was real, make certain she was his. His hand slid over her body, enjoying the touch of her flesh, running through her hair and along her hip. Her body was almost as soft as it was that day in the hall. He liked the feel of her arms around his neck. How had he forgotten that sensation?

Before he could content himself to her lips, Sirius was kissing her neck feverishly, making certain she was real.

"I should have listened to you. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry . . ."

"It doesn't matter," he shook his head as he brushed her hair away from her face. He shook his head again, his eyes bright and filled with some intense emotion words had trouble describing. "You're alive. That's all that matters."

"Sirius . . ." she trailed off. Did she almost say it?

"Yes?"

"SIRIUS!" James's voice was shouting his name. Many pairs of feet were pounding towards them; teachers . . .Madame Pomphrey . . .Dumbledore . . .

"Jillian?"

"Nothing."

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AN EXTRA DISCLAIMER . . .

Okay, first off these lines came from my all time favorite movie Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with Kevin Costner. I don't care if he didn't have a British accent, I don't care what says, that movie ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!! It was my first action movie and Robin Hood was my first crush (okay, I was five, guys, give me a break).

Anyway the lines "You came for me . . . You're alive," and "I would die for you," belong only to the production company and writers of that film.


	12. Repercussions

CHAPTER 12 – Repercussions

By Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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"Don't you EVER do that to me again!" James stormed at Sirius the next day in the Hospital Wing.

The events of the evening after Jillian and he had returned to Hogwarts were blurry. His adrenaline and his fear had abandoned him, leaving him drained and exhausted of only enough energy to hold Jillian's hand as they were bustled first to Professor Dumbledore's office to explain themselves, then into the Hospital Wing to sleep. All that he could remember vividly was falling asleep, curled around Jillian, who had disappeared to take a lengthy bath that morning.

James, at the moment, was livid, his hazel eyes flaring. "You could have _died_ and you had the _inanity_ to go alone? Where we go, we go together! Marauder's oath, Sirius!"

Sirius knew that James's anger was not true anger, but relief mingled with a sort of hurt that he had left his best friend behind on what would have been an adventure. Actually, a nightmare was the more accurate way to describe it.

"Are you done ranting, Prongs?" Sirius asked, glancing at James as he slipped a tee shirt over his head. Madame Pomphrey had seen no reason to keep him there, so he was free to go; of course he was going with a clean change of clothes.

"Yeah, just about," he nodded, running his hand through his hair.

"Do you really think I'd want to run the risk of losing my best friend as well as . . ." he trailed off, not quite sure what Jillian was to him anymore. Together James and Sirius strode out of the infirmary and down to the Great Hall where breakfast was being held.

"Besides what would you have done in my place if it had been Lily?" he returned abruptly, changing the subject.

"So Jillian's your equivalent to Lily, heh?" James asked slyly, raising an eyebrow at his friend. He'd walked right into that.

"You know what I meant, Prongs," he snapped as he straddled the bench and picked a pear from the fruit bowl.

James shook his head slowly, almost in mock, as he loaded his plate. "No, Padfoot, I'm not sure I did."

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"OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE, CARELESS, MORONIC . . ."

". . .things you could have done without me . . ."

". . . WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? WAIT, YOU WEREN'T THINKING . . ."

". . .Why didn't you just bring a second? If you were going to duel, I could have hit him from behind and ended it - "

"TOBY!!"

"What?" Toby snapped sharply.

Carly and Toby were pacing before the pool-sized tub the prefects used for bathing, ranting at Jillian as she swum around in a sea of bubbles. Of course they were ranting at her for different reasons: Carly for her senseless recklessness, Toby for leaving her out of the adventure.

Actually, a nightmare was a more accurate description of it than adventure.

Jillian shook her head and dove beneath the water trying once more to rinse that feeling of uncleanness and filth off her. She'd washed her hair with an entire bottle of shampoo to get the mirror shards and dust out, hoping to wash the night out of her mind as well. The shatter of mirrors, the spells and shouts, the lights and the music still haunted her, clutching at her chest like a clamp. She could still see that ruddy pockmarked face leering at her in triumph.

If it hadn't been for Sirius . . .

She resurfaced, brushing water away from her face. Carly, Jillian was relieved to hear, was now shouting at Toby.

"DON'T THINK YOU AREN'T ENCOURAGING HER GOING ON LIKE THAT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS - "

Jillian hoisted herself out of the tub to sit on the edge. Swiftly she wrapped a towel around her and wrung her dripping hair out into the pool. She flicked her hair back over her shoulder and combed her fingers through the damp tresses.

It wasn't the same as when he did it though.

"What are you smiling about?" Carly asked suddenly jerking Jillian from her thoughts.

"I'm sorry?"

"What are you smiling about? You've just barely escaped with your life - "

"Well that would put a smile on my face," Toby pointed out from her seat on the sink countertop.

"But you're always smiling so why bother?" Jillian retorted with a kind grin. Toby roared with laughter.

Carly was quite the opposite of smiling at that moment however. "TOBY WILLIAMS, CAN YOU EVER BE SERIOUS?!"

Her scolding startled Toby so badly she sat sharply in the sink basin. Jillian, laughing, rushed over to pull her out of the sink. Carly, feeling slightly ashamed for causing Toby to sit in the sink, came over to help.

"What's gotten into you?" Toby asked, safely standing on the lavatory floor. She eyed Jillian closely; "They didn't torture you into madness did they?"

"What? No!" Jillian frowned. Was she really acting that differently? "What makes you say that?"

"Usually when Carly's scolding you, you're apologizing profusely or arguing right back, not cracking jokes."

"She has a point," Carly admitted, "You're rather giddy for a near death experience."

"I don't know," Jillian shrugged, walking over to her clothes, folded neatly on a stool; "I'm alive. I have two terrific friends - "

Toby dug her toe into the tile in a playful imitation of a bashful schoolgirl, "Aw, you're too sweet."

She slipped into a dark teal camisole, grinning at them; "Term is almost over. I've managed to land Lucius in more trouble than he could have ever imagined and I'm just . . . happy. Now come on, the sun's shining, the weather's beautiful, let's spend the day outside."

"But what about finals?" Carly eyed Jillian warily. Had she forgotten that there last round of tests was coming up next week?

"We can hold off studying for one more day don't you think?" she recurred gaily, slipping her sandals onto her feet.

"Even Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

Jillian paused at the door; she sorely needed to study for Defense Against the Dark Arts. "Well, maybe we can study outside."

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Many of the other students had gotten the same idea as Jillian for the grounds were swarming with students sitting out in the yard or splayed out in the grass, enjoying the sunlight when Carly, Toby and Jillian emerged from the front doors.

But as they made their way to their favorite spot underneath the shade of the beech tree, Toby stopped dead in her tracks, scowling.

"What's wrong?" Carly asked with a frown.

"They wouldn't _dare_," Toby fumed.

Jillian and Carly followed her gaze to the beech tree. Beneath the tree's appealing shade sat four Gryffindor boys. Jillian smiled as she saw Sirius reclining against the beech's trunk, dozing.

"Aw, come on, Toby, its just Sirius and his lot . . ." Jillian trailed off. Where had Toby disappeared to?

"Oh no," Carly groaned.

"What?"

The dark-skinned girl was trotting towards a cluster of another girls with renewed purpose. Jillian leaned before Carly, clearly confused, "What's she talking to Harriet Yember for?"

Harriet Yember was a tall, stocky Hufflepuff sixth-year, renowned for her same-sex tendencies. Toby gesticulated grandly as she talked to Harriet, motioning to the tree and Sirius, too far away for Jillian to understand what she was saying.

Suddenly Harriet barged passed Toby, straight for Sirius. The large girl grabbed a fistful of the dozing boy's shirt and pulled him up to his feet. Before Jillian, Carly, or even Sirius could react, Harriet Yember had her lips pressed to his. Sirius's eyes went wide as he realized what was happening.

Jillian couldn't help it; she laughed. She actually collapsed to the yard in whoops of mirth. Carly clutched her middle as she bent over double.

When Harriet at last stopped kissing Sirius, she let him drop amongst the roots, "There you are, Black. Maybe that'll put to ease any questions you have about how we kiss. Though I've kissed girls that have been better than you."

"What?"

"Williams said - " she motioned to Toby who was rolling on the grass in hysterics, her feet flailing wildly in the air, but never finished her sentence.

"TOBY!" Sirius roared, getting to his feet and galloping right at her.

"Uh-oh," Toby was on her feet in an instant, running as fast as she could across the yard, screaming at Carly and Jillian, "Quick! Drag 'em out from under the tree! Go, I'll keep him busy! NO! BLACK, NO WANDS!"

Toby sprinted across the yard, Sirius pacing rapidly behind her. They ran around the yard, shouting and screaming at one another, much to the amusement of the students who seemed desperately in need of a break from studying.

Jillian shook her head, laughing hard, "She could have done it the easy way."

"What like this?" Carly gasped as they made their way over to Remus, James and Peter. "Hey, could we sit with you guys?"

"Please," Jillian added.

"Be our guests," Remus motioned for them to make themselves comfortable.

----------------------------------------------------

"So what did you tell her, Williams?" James asked once Toby and Sirius had returned from a short wrestling match Sirius had easily won.

Toby shrugged, flipping to another page of her textbook, "Sirius was curious how lesbian's kissed."

"Which I wasn't," he snapped darkly, throwing a glare at Toby who just smiled wickedly.

"Oh yes, that's right. You and James are all ready well versed in that aren't you?"

"_Toby . . ._" Sirius growled in warning.

"And what did she say?" Jillian asked smoothly, though her lips twitched in a restrained smile. James snorted back a laugh and even Remus seemed amused, finding solstice in an upside down book.

"She'd kissed girls that had been better," Peter supplied. Quickly he scrambled back as Sirius moved to throttle him.

But as Sirius stood he felt a tug on his sleeve. Jillian was urging him to sit down, a smile playing across her mouth.

"Ease off, now, Sirius. He wasn't harming anything by it. Besides," she tugged him gently back to the ground to sit among the roots. She lightly pecked him on the cheek, "I don't think you're such a terrible kisser."

He grinned down at her and caressed her lips with his, "Then that's all I care about."

"Good," she snuggled into the crook of his arm, "Then you won't mind if I use you as a pillow while I study, will you?"

"As long as it doesn't interrupt my nap," he sighed, folding his arms behind his head.

Then as his eyelids began to flutter closed, Jillian mused aloud, "Now when did Merpeople rights come into question?"

"Jillian," Sirius growled.

"Sixteen-ninety wasn't it?" she continue to drawl, her fingers snaking up to his armpit in a discreet attempt to annoy him.

Jillian let out a whoop as Sirius pulled her over his shoulder and began to tickle the crook of her knees.

"Oh! That tickles! Stop! Oh, I was TRYING to study - "

James went into an uproar of laughter as Jillian uselessly tried to reach for behind Sirius's ears (his only real ticklish spot) and failed miserably. Then he saw her pulled out her wand.

"Oh no you don't, McKee!" he snatched it easily out of her hand, "Don't think I'm going to let him handle you on his own again."

"JAMES!" Lily gasped.

"Not in that way, Lily."

Suddenly Toby stood up, striking a noble pose, "Do not fear, Jillian, for Toby Williams will come to your – _whoa_!"

She glared over at James as she now hovered in the air upside down. Coolly she crossed her arms over her chest, "Oh, yeah, real mature, Potter."

After James's Hover Jinx, none of the group got much studying done.

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THIS IS THE SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER, FOLKS! SECOND TO LAST CHAPTER!

Oh, it's all ending so fast . . . excuse me ::runs out of the room to look for a hankie::

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I NEED SOME HELP COMING UP WITH ANOTHER STORY . . .

I'm sort of stuck between two ideas. One is a cute Remus/OC one that I'm not quite sure how to go about. I was thinking of making it a switch bodies fic between Remus and Sirius, but the plot is kind of shaky.

The second is a James/Lily fic where Lily's best friend has this friend in Rome that invites them for a Bacchanal being held there. I saw Phantom of the Opera at the Hippodrome in Baltimore and it was so forking COOL! I fell in love with the play and the characters and it gave me the idea for this fic . . .

I just don't know which one to do. Both will take a while to write, but I'd like your guys' opinion on it.

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THANK YOU'S

Moon Burst – Jillian was rather a rather large idiot, wasn't she? Hey, but nobodies perfect, ya know? I'm so glad you liked Sirius and Jillian getting back together, it was sort of predictable and I'm sorry, but I just couldn't resist. The next chapter (and sadly the last chapter) always makes me smile, so I hope you like it.

Kirie Himuro - ::sits at computer, typing, plate of cookies within easy reach:: You know, if you keep giving me cookies, I might end up gaining fifty pounds ;). It's cool though. Thank you so much for commenting on the house of mirrors, I personally thought it was terrible when I read it for myself. A cool idea, but horribly written, but thank you for making me feel better about it. And don't be sorry about not reviewing, I understand isn't the center of the world, I just don't quite know what is ::baffled look::. I'm just joking.

Sugarcult Babe – Right now I'm listening to "Stuck In America" from their Start Static CD, my theme song :). Thanks so much for reading this, you have no idea how much I appreciate it. Reviews like yours let me know people like and read my stuff, and it makes me feel good about myself. Thank you so much!

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THANK YOU TO ALL MY WONDERFUL REVIEWERS! YOU ARE ALL WICKED TOPS IN MY BOOK!

(I told you, I have a weird taste in vocabulary, sorry)


	13. The End

CHAPTER 13 – The End

By: Sweet 16 Movie Buff!

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Sirius lay on his bed, staring up at the canopy top, lost in thought. Despite the warmth of the day outside and the early release of the classes, Sirius Black was finding solstice and comfort in the privacy of a silent dorm. Today was the last day he would ever set foot in Hogwarts again, and here he was, inside. Amazing. Utterly amazing.

He smirked. Fascinating what a good long afternoon of thinking could do to a person and he was thinking about a great many things at the moment. Questions buzzed through his mind, distracting him from one course of thought to a completely different one, yet all seemed to be interconnected by a common thread.

Had they finished it? Had Andromeda come through for him? And what about Jillian? Would she accept his offer? Or . . .

Was he just fooling himself?

He tried to picture her surprise: the way her eyes lit up, or how she would stand there slack-jawed in amazement. The way it made him feel. The warmth that bubbled up from somewhere inside . . . No, he couldn't picture it. He had to _feel_ it.

"Aren't you going to pack?" James asked as he sauntered into the boy's dormitory looking quite relaxed in a pair of jeans in a muscle tank.

Sirius grinned at James, "All ready did. Jillian taught me this handy spell that takes care of packing for you."

James watched his friend's face, "Were you thinking about her?"

He took Sirius's silence as a yes.

"Do you love her, Padfoot?" James asked at last, voicing the question that had been on the tip of everyone's tongue for the longest time.

He and Lily had had a lengthy discussion on the issue, Remus and Carly had mentioned it at least once or twice, Toby wouldn't shut up about it, and Peter hadn't mentioned the 'L' word since he'd let it slip that night.

"Do you ever catch yourself admiring the little things about Lily, Prongs?" Sirius asked at last. "Like the way she wears her hair, or the way she'll nibble her lip when she's upset - "

Sirius stopped; that was something Jillian did, not Lily. James simply smiled, "All the time, Padfoot."

Bloody hell he was. Yet the thought didn't really bother him. It actually . . . made his senses buzz a little, like a pleasant chord on a guitar. "Thanks, Prongs."

"Why don't you come outside and enjoy the sun? We'll have enough to play a decent game of poker with a nice size pot if you do," he offered, rising from his seat on his bed.

"How many do you have?"

"Seven so far."

Sirius smiled, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, "I'm in."

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The Hogwarts Express rolled into the station, screeching to a stop before Platform nine and three-quarters. Steam billowed from the chimney stack, blanketing the students pouring out of the boxcars and the clutter of Muggles, witches and wizards waiting on the platform.

Jillian stepped out into the smoky sunlight, Chocoball wriggling in the basket under her arm. There was a little knot of dread in her throat; she would be going back to Canterbury with Carly to spend a month or so with her family until she found an apartment. The prospect was one she dreaded for she knew nothing of Canterbury and practically every nook and cranny of London. As much as she loved the quaintness of an old town and as much as she loved Carly as her friend, she did not relish in the prospect at all.

"MUM! DAD!" Carly abandoned her trunk with a gleeful cry, running into the arms of her parents as they waited eagerly for her.

"Get a room!" Toby shouted at them with a crazy, lopsided smile on her lips.

Jillian laughed, "Wrong context, Toby."

"Yeah, well," she shrugged, pushing her trolley towards the barrier, "I've always wanted to say that. Have a good summer! Call me once you get your flat!"

"I will! Have a good summer, Toby!" Jillian waved to the dark-skinned girl as she pushed her trolley through the brick wall that served as the barrier between the Muggle station and the wizarding one.

"Did you think you were going to leave this platform without saying goodbye to me?"

Jillian's senses hummed as she glanced over her shoulder to see Sirius standing there in his leather jacket.

"No," she replied evenly, smiling up at him, "But I was sure going to give it a good try."

Sirius laughed, at the same time wrapping his arms around her thin waist and hugging her tight. Jillian, after setting Chocoball on her trunk, tried vainly to pry him off, but it did no good. He put his lips to her ear and whispered, "Have dinner with me tonight."

"I thought you and James were going to celebrate graduating with a long round of butterbeers?" she frowned, turning slightly in his arms to look him in the face.

Sirius shook his head, "Nah. I think he wants to spend some time alone with Evans."

He nodded to the shadow of the barrier where the redhead in question was curled snuggly in James Potter's arms, each whispering to one another. Jillian smiled; they looked very much the pair, the two together as they were.

She raised a delicate brow, suddenly amused, "So are you asking me out on a date, Sirius Black?"

"If you want to call it that," he replied nonchalantly.

"Oh . . . I don't know if I can," she slipped out from his arms, wanting badly to go, but suddenly realizing she may not have a choice in the matter, "You see, I'm leaving with Carly for Canterbury - "

"That won't be a problem," Carly suddenly appeared, smiling at the two. "Mum and Dad wanted to spend the day in Diagon Alley, to do some shopping. You can catch up with us later at the Leaky Cauldron, if you like."

"There you are, Miss Perfect," he motioned to Carly, with a thankful smile, "So what are you in the mood for? Italian? French?"

Jillian made a face, "Snails make me gag."

"And this coming from the girl who enjoys sardines," he said wryly, awarding him a punch from a laughing Jillian. He grinned, "Seafood, then?"

"Seafood would be great," she smiled at him. All ready she was pushing her trolley towards the barrier, Carly guiding it more so than Jillian.

"Pick you up at six!"

----------------------------------------------------

"Merlin, that was fantastic," Jillian rested a hand on her stomach, worried that her dress might just burst she had eaten so much. "How'd you ever find that place?"

Sirius rested a hand on the small of her back, helping her up the stairs to his apartment, "Andy recommended it. She said Ted didn't even realize she had said she was a witch until they were outside."

Jillian laughed, "You should have at least let me pay half the bill."

"No, it was my treat. Now come on, I want to show you something," he gently ushered her up the stairs to his flat, all ready pulling a key out of his pocket.

As he inserted the key into the lock, Jillian rested her hand over his. When he looked up, his eyes met her dark ones, to see they were earnest and watching him closely. Did she suspect? "I had a good time, tonight, Sirius."

He grinned softly, "I did to."

Hesitantly, Jillian closed her eyes, letting her lips caress his, softly at first, than more certain the second time. Sirius relented, caressing her mouth with his, letting his tongue explore the caverns of her mouth. She was wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Wait," his voice was raspy as he took a step back out of her hold, breathing heavily. "Just hold that thought for ten minutes."

"What's this?" she asked with a playful frown, "You're actually showing some form of restraint? Just for kissing?"

"Ha, ha, Jillian," he mumbled sarcastically, flinging the door open for her.

"Okay . . ." she strolled into the apartment, "What did you want to show me? Oh, you got a new fridge, okay."

The flat was very much a tidy bachelor's pad; the open space was blank of any color except for a couple of posters hung on the walls. The kitchenette was sectioned off by an island bar, with a collection of stools shoved underneath. A large over-stuffed couch took up the majority of the living space, flanked on either side by a papa san. Sirius had shown her his flat the summer of their sixth year, when sadly his Uncle Alphard had passed away, leaving him with a tidy sum of money to pay for it.

"No," he leaned casually against a closed door, his arms folded across his chest. "This is what I wanted you to see."

He opened the door to the room and flipped on the lights. The walls were painted misty lilac and scattered with posters of exotic ports and locations. The palm trees in one such poster swayed lightly in a breeze, and birds fluttered in and out of a Moroccan belfry. A map above the desk was littered with pushpins and in the corner was taped a picture of a four-year-old girl with golden chestnut hair sitting on the shoulders of a sailor. On the corner of the desk was propped a picture of a comely woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Jillian. The wrought iron bed was pushed into the corner, made up neatly with a large quilt; a patched stuff dog was propped carefully against the pillow.

Jillian's mouth dropped open and a surprised cry escaped her lips. She ran her fingers along the iron of the bed, her fingers taking in the familiar grooves and rounds. It was her room, her room from Kensington.

Sirius watched her as she moved around the room, touching belongings he had asked Ted to move in the previous week. The way the moonlight cascaded around her hair (which Carly had managed to tie in a cluster of tiny, tasteful spikes) made her look like she wore an angel's golden halo.

"Do you like it?" he asked at last, when Jillian did not speak for several moments.

She looked over at Sirius, at a complete loss for words "How - ?"

"I called in a favor," he explained, coming to stand before her. "What do you think?"

"I . . . I don't know what to say," she breathed, looking up at him, her mouth still parted in her shock. She rested a hand on his chest, and played absently with the buttons of his shirt, "It's wonderful. I just don't . . . I don't understand."

"Then maybe this might help," he pulled out of his pocket a spare key and dangled it before her, "Jillian McKee, will you be my flat mate?"

"Sirius . . ."

She was still staring at him in a sort of amazement that he couldn't quite read. Quickly he stuffed the key back into his pocket, and took a step away from her, raking his hand through his hair. Maybe he'd been too forward. "Unless you have other plans of course."

"No," she assured quickly, her hand sliding under his jaw to have him look her in the eye again, "Of course I will. Bloody hell, yes!"

She curled her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm embrace, which he equally returned.

"I pay half the rent though," she said after a moment. "No questions asked."

"Wasn't gonna," he smirked softly, then in a quieter tone added, "You gave me a scare there for a second, Jillian."

"I'm sorry. I just never thought you would offer," she breathed.

"I love you," he murmured into her neck.

She smiled, playing with the tips of his hair, "I love you too, Sirius."

----------------------------------------------------

TO ALL OF MY REVIEWERS, WHO OFFICIALLY KICK BUTT!

Moon Burst – I cannot thank you enough for your offer to help with the plot. I have a shaky idea, but if I ever do get stuck, you're the first on my (very short, one person) list! To be honest, I wouldn't really go to anyone else, because your stories are so varied in plot and character that I greatly respect your opinion as an author.

Kirie Himuro – First off, how was the beach? Was it a natural beach (like it was part of a wildlife reserve, yet open to the public) or a public city beach with a boardwalk? Was the water warm or cold? Were there any hot guys? Sorry, I'm having my own form of beach withdrawals; my family and I use to go all the time and now we never go.

Anywho, thanks for pointing out the 'uncleanness' vs. 'uncleanliness' error. I was sure that it was uncleanliness, but my stupid computer says it's not a word so I changed it. Thank you though for proving my computer wrong, so I can honestly say that we (the human race) have not seen are end in what has become man's best friend (the computer)! It's a long story; one you probably don't want to know. ;)


	14. The Song That Inspired the Characters

THE SONG THAT INSPIRED THE CHARACTERS

"Vindicated" by Dashboard Confessional is the song that inspired this duel fic and Jillian's character. My sister got the Spiderman 2 Soundtrack and I fell in love with this song (along with Track 5 by Yellowcard, Track 3 by Hoobastank, Track 10 by Smile Empty Soul, Track 11 by The Ataris . . . but that's beside the point).

Anyway this song got me thinking about imperfections and how when you're in love, you embrace those faults as well as the good qualities. And thus came about _In Memory of Sirius Black_ and _In Memory of Sirius Black II: The Seventh Year_.

Plus, the first image that jumped to my mind when I first heard the song was the part with Jillian and Sirius kissing in Hagrid's cabin. :)

Hope you all enjoyed!

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Hope dangles on a string

Like slow spinning redemption

Winding in and winding out

The shine of it has caught my eye

And roped me in

So mesmerizing, so hypnotizing

I am captivated, I am . . .

Chorus

Vindicated

I am selfish

I am wrong

I am right

I swear I'm right

I swear I knew it all along

And I am flawed

But I am cleaning up so well

I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself

So clear

Like the diamond in your ring

Cut to mirror your intention

Oversized and overwhelmed

The shine of which has caught my eye

And rendered me

So isolated, so motivated

I am certain now that I am

Chorus

Vindicated

I am selfish

I am wrong

I am right

I swear I'm right

I swear I knew it all along

And I am flawed

But I am cleaning up so well

I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself

So turn

Up the corners of your lips

Part them and feel my finger tips

Trace the moment, fall forever

Defense is paper-thin

Just one touch and I'd be in

Too deep now to ever swim against the current

So let me slip away

So let me slip away

So let me slip away

So let me slip against the current

So let me slip away

So let me slip away

So let me slip away

So let me slip away

Chorus

Vindicated

I am selfish

I am wrong

I am right

I swear I'm right

I swear I knew it all along

And I am flawed

But I am cleaning up so well

I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself

My hope dangles on a string

Like slow spinning redemption . . .


End file.
